Less than a year after its success in animals, the world’s first drug capable of regenerating teeth will soon begin human trials.
The report indicates that the drug could be commercially available by 2030.
Japan’s Kyoto University Hospital will conduct the trial from September 2024 to August 2025. It will involve 30 men, aged 30-64, who are missing at least one molar.
The intravenous treatment will be tested for its efficacy on human teeth. It has successfully grown new teeth in ferret and mouse models without significant side effects.
Lead researcher Katsu Takahashi, head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital, expressed a desire to help those suffering from tooth loss. He noted that there has been no permanent cure for this issue so far, but expectations for tooth regeneration are high.
After the initial 11-month stage, researchers will test the drug on patients aged two to seven who are missing at least four teeth due to congenital tooth deficiency, which affects one per cent of people.
The trial will also include individuals with partial edentulism, those missing one to five permanent teeth due to environmental factors. This condition varies by country.
The medicine works by deactivating the uterine sensitisation-associated gene-1 (USAG-1) protein, suppressing tooth growth. It blocks USAG-1’s interaction with other proteins, encouraging bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling to generate new bone.
