Regaining our lost teeth is only possible with implants and dentures. Both of these methods are generally considered sometimes painful and sometimes useless. Well, what if we told you that scientists have a new study at this point?
For the regrowth of decayed or extracted teeth Scientists who have been working since 2005 at Kyoto University have rolled up their sleeves for a never-before-seen treatment. Wouldn’t it be a tremendous ability to regrow our own teeth?
Well, it is estimated that losing teeth will no longer be a problem in the near future. At what stage is this discovery currently?
The beginning of studies aiming to replace the teeth we lost for various reasons is based on gene research conducted on mice.
Many researchers who tried to delete some genes in mice found that due to this gene deficiency, He noticed a marked decrease in the number of teeth produced by the mice. This reaction of the mice actually opened the doors to different questions.
What if the opposite could also be possible? What if genetically modifying mice allowed them to grow more teeth? Based on these questions, it did not take long for Katsu Takahashi, chief investigator and head of the department of dentistry and oral surgery at a hospital in Japan, to discover that the number of teeth in mice lacking a certain gene actually increased.
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So, with which gene is this possible?
Researchers found that a protein called USAG-1 prevents new tooth formation and By blocking this protein from the cells, it enabled more teeth to emerge. Isn’t this enormous impact of a single gene on tooth structure quite surprising?
After this discovery An antibody drug that blocks the USAG-1 protein has been developed and some toothless mice gained new teeth thanks to this drug. In other words, this treatment allowed new tooth formation for the first time in the world.
At this point, the first question that comes to mind is undoubtedly whether this is possible in humans.
Of course, just because the drug works in mice does not mean that it will have the same effect in humans, but researchers think that genetic factors are effective in the first place. He is very intentional in applying this treatment to people with anodontia.
Anodontia, seen in approximately 1 in 100 people, It is a disorder experienced by people who are missing 6 or more teeth. This lack of teeth, which is thought to play a large role in genetics, can be congenital or acquired later on and causes many problems, from chewing to speaking skills.
If this discovery, which gave a positive response in mice, also shows obvious effects in people with anodontia, the lights of hope will begin to shine for people who lose their teeth for various reasons.
But human and animal anatomy are quite different, and experts say to observe in detail the positive and negative effects of this drug on humans. He has his sleeves rolled up.
Takahashi and his team started working to complete safety studies by 2025 and dose studies by 2028. If everything goes as planned It seems that by 2030, lost teeth will no longer be a problem.
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