Tooth loss is one of the most common problems in the field of dentistry. Currently, the only solution lies in the placement of dental implants. However, thanks to technological and medical advances, it seems that soon we will have something much more effective.
It is the first medicine that stimulates the growth of teeth naturally. This treatment is intended for people who lack a complete set of permanent teeth due to congenital factors. The development of this advance in medicine has been led primarily by Katsu Takahashi, Principal Investigator and Director of the Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at Kitano Hospital Medical Research Institute in Osaka City.
"The idea of growing new teeth is every dentist's dream. I've been working on this since I was a graduate student. I was sure I could make it a reality," explains the expert to the specialized magazine 'The Mainchi'.
Takahashi's research began after noting that studies around the world had identified genes that, when deleted, caused genetically modified mice to have fewer teeth. In 2005, they analyzed these studies and found that mice lacking a specific gene had a higher number of teeth. Thus they discovered that there was a protein, synthesized by the gene, that limited dental growth: USAG-1.
Since then, his team has focused on developing a drug that acts as a neutralizing antibody capable of blocking this protein in mice that have congenitally few teeth. The results, published in 2021, were successful and the appearance of new teeth in the animals was observed.
The next challenge is to transfer this advance to the human realm. Clinical trials are scheduled for July 2024, and researchers expect the drug to be ready for widespread use in 2030. Once its use is confirmed to be free of adverse effects, it will be targeted at children ages 2 to 6 who present with anodontia.
