A pioneering breakthrough in dental science hinges on the development of an antibody medication by Toregem Biopharma, a startup affiliated with Kyoto University. The medication targets a protein known as uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1), which typically acts as a barrier to tooth growth. By neutralizing this protein, the medication effectively removes the obstacle to tooth formation, allowing new teeth to emerge naturally.
Backed by funding from Kyoto University, Toregem Biopharma is on the brink of commencing clinical trials involving healthy adults around July 2024 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the drug. This milestone follows their successful cultivation of new teeth in mice in 2018.
Ordinarily, individuals harbor “tooth buds” capable of developing into new teeth alongside primary and permanent teeth, but these buds often fail to mature and ultimately disappear. The research team has engineered an antibody medication to suppress the protein that impedes tooth growth, thereby facilitating the development of these tooth buds.
A noteworthy advancement occurred in 2018 when the team administered the medication to ferrets, which possess both primary and permanent teeth akin to humans, resulting in the growth of new teeth.
Looking ahead, the team plans to initiate clinical trials for the medication in 2025, targeting children aged 2 to 6 afflicted with anodontia, a condition characterized by the absence of some or all permanent teeth. These children will receive a single dose of the medication to stimulate tooth growth.
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