First Ever Tooth Regenerating Drug!
The world’s first clinical trial of a drug designed to grow teeth will start in September at Kyoto University Hospital, researchers said. A team at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka hopes to commercialize its drug by 2030 to treat people with congenital edentulism, a condition in which they are born with fewer teeth than normal. The largely hereditary disease affects one in 1,000 people. Born missing six or more teeth, these patients face difficulties eating and properly developing their jaws. Patients often rely on dentures or implants as adults. No cure is available. The research team, led by Katsu Takahashi, head of the dentistry and oral surgery department of Kitano Hospital, focused their study on USAG-1, a molecule that inhibits the function of bone-forming proteins. The team came up with a drug that suppresses the effects of USAG-1, and generated teeth in mice and a beagle dog. In the clinical trial, expected to continue until August 2025, healthy adults will receive injections of the drug to see if they develop any health issues. After the safety of the medicine is confirmed, the team will move to the next stage of testing the drug on children 2 to 7 years old who have four or more teeth missing. Researchers say the drug also has the potential to work on patients who have lost teeth due to gum disease or injuries. “We are hoping that the drug will be a third option that stands out from the existing treatments like dentures and implants,” Takahashi said. By: https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/15257563