The third set of teeth could be ready by 2030.
- A Japanese study from 2021 demonstrated how animals can grow new teeth by focusing on specific genes. The group is now focusing on a clinical trial involving humans.
- Researchers think they can help people who don’t have a complete set of teeth. by regrowing teeth by focusing on the USAG-1 gene.
- According to the team, humans possess a third set of teeth. And it’s in the form of buds prepared to grow when needed.
One fascinating aspect of sharks is their capacity to grow new teeth. Though they don’t say we should strive to resemble sharks as much as possible, a group of Japanese researchers would like for us to possibly possess that same ability in the future.
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The team has focused on humans in response to a 2021 study that was published in Scientific Reports and demonstrated how medication that targets the protein produced by the USAG-1 gene may affect the number of teeth that grow in animals. The medication will begin a clinical trial in 2024, and the goal is to have it ready for widespread use by 2030.
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A third set of teeth is the dream of every dentist
Every dentist’s dream is for teeth to regrow. This is a project I started while I was a graduate student. Lead researcher Katsu Takahashi, who oversees the dentistry and oral surgery division at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka, told Mainichi:
I was confident I’d be able to make it happen. Eventually, we hope to see tooth regrowth medication as a third option in addition to dentures and implants.
Katsu Takahashi
Takahashi has dedicated years of study to the study of teeth regrowth potential. particularly emphasizing the role of genes in tooth growth. “A single gene mutation caused variation in the number of teeth,” he stated. “There should be a way to change the number of teeth. People have if that is the goal of our research.”
It was discovered by researchers that the USAG-1 protein could inhibit the growth of teeth in mice. Therefore, preventing the formation of the protein might encourage the growth of teeth. By creating a drug to inhibit the protein, the scientists were able to successfully induce tooth growth in mice.
Research is ongoing and clinical trials will soon start
While lamenting the absence of therapies for tooth regeneration. A 2023 paper in Regenerative Therapy points out that treating mice with anti-USAG-1 antibodies may provide “a breakthrough in treating tooth anomalies in humans.”
There is hope for teeth regrowth in humans beyond mouse-centric trials because approximately 1% of people have anodontia, a genetic condition that prevents a full set of teeth from growing.
And the fact that we already have the foundation in place should only serve to strengthen that hope, according to Takahashi. According to his earlier research, humans already have the beginnings of a third set of teeth embedded in their mouths. The 1% of people with hyperdontia—the growth of more teeth than a full set—most obviously demonstrate this. Furthermore, Takahashi thinks that by using the appropriate gene manipulation to activate that third set of buds, tooth regrowth may be encouraged.
As early as 2030, more teeth might be in the world if the next clinical trial proceeds as planned.
