A new smile? Japanese researchers test a drug to regenerate teeth

Japanese researchers are testing a pioneering drug that can grow new teeth for those who have lost them, an alternative to false dentures and implants.

Unlike reptiles or fish, which replace their teeth regularly, humans and other mammals generally only have two sets of teeth.

But hidden under the gums are the dormant roots for a third generation, says Katsu Takahasi, head of oral surgery at the Kitano Hospital Medical Research Institute in Osaka, central Japan.

His team began medical trials at Kyoto University Hospital in October, administering this drug to adults, which, they claim, It has the ability to boost the growth of these hidden teeth.

It is a “completely new” technology in the world, Takahashi tells AFP.

Prosthetic treatments used for tooth loss due to cavities, disease or injury are often expensive and invasive.

“Restoring natural teeth clearly has its advantages,” says Takahashi, who leads the research project.

Tests in mice and ferrets suggest that blocking a protein called USAG-1 may activate the third game. Researchers have published laboratory photographs of animals with regenerated teeth.

In a study published last year, the team said that “antibody treatment in mice is effective for tooth regeneration and may be a breakthrough in treating dental anomalies in humans.”

“Potential”

For now, these dentists prioritize the needs of patients who, due to a hereditary disease, lack six or more jaw teeth.

This disease affects 0.1% of the population, who suffer serious problems when chewing. In Japan, they often spend their teenage years wearing a face mask to hide the gaps in their mouth, Takahashi says.

“This drug could be a revolution for them,” he adds.

Their intention is to first target the drug to children, so that it will be available in 2030.

Angray Kang, a professor of dentistry at Queen Mary University of London, knows of only one other team with a similar project of using antibodies to regenerate or repair teeth.

“I would say that Takahashi’s group is leading the way,” the immunotechnology expert, who is not linked to the Japanese study, tells AFP.

Their work is “exciting and worth continuing,” says Kang, who points out that a treatment for osteoporosis is based on antibodies that attack a protein almost identical to USAG-1.

“The race to regenerate human teeth is not a short sprint, but a series of consecutive ultramarathons,” he says. “This is just the beginning.”

Chengfei Zhang, professor of endodontics at the University of Hong Kong, considers this method “innovative and has potential.”

But “The claim that humans have dormant roots capable of producing a third set of teeth is both revolutionary and controversial.”, he details.

“The results observed in animals do not always translate to humans,” explains the expert, who also wonders “if regenerated teeth can functionally and aesthetically replace a lost tooth.”

First, safety

Takahashi argues that the location of the new tooth in the mouth can be controlled, even precisely, depending on where the drug is injected.

And if it grows in the wrong place, it can be moved through orthodontics or transplant, he adds.

For now, the first phase of clinical trials does not include young patients suffering from this congenital disease. because the main objective of the test is the safety of the drugnot so much its effectiveness.

So for now the participants are healthy adults who have lost at least one tooth.

Although it is not the priority for now, scientists affirm that there are possibilities that some patients will already begin to regenerate teeth, which would demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment and represent a medical triumph.

“I would be very happy if that happened,” Takahashi said.

The news would be especially welcome in Japan, which has the second oldest population in the world.

Data from the Ministry of Health shows that more than 90% of Japanese citizens aged 75 and older are missing at least one tooth.

“We are very confident that our technology can extend their healthy lifespan,” says Takahashi.