People who have lost teeth may be able to grow new ones, according to Japanese dentists who are testing a pioneering drug that could potentially replace dental implants in the future.
Children practice brushing their teeth at a school health education event in Vienna, Austria, in December 2023.
Unlike reptiles and fish, which replace their teeth in a regular cycle, humans and most mammals only have two sets of teeth. However, dentist Katsu Takahashi, head of the oral surgery department at Kitano Hospital of the Medical Research Institute in Osaka, Japan, points out that a third set of teeth is hidden beneath our gums.
The team he led conducted clinical trials at Kyoto University Hospital in October, observing a drug that could help grow long-hidden tooth roots, or in other words, a tooth-growing drug, according to AFP today, December 13.
Dentist Takahashi claims this is a technology unprecedented in the world .
Currently, dental implant treatments to replace decayed or broken teeth caused by trauma are often expensive and require invasive surgery.
Therefore, stimulating natural tooth eruption offers advantages to humans, according to Mr. Takahashi.
Tests on mice and ferrets showed that blocking a protein called USAG-1 could "unlock" a third set of teeth, and researchers published photographs documenting instances of teeth regrowing in laboratory animals.
In the latest phase of the study, the team of experts prioritized stimulating tooth eruption in patients who had lost five or more permanent teeth due to genetic factors.
An estimated 0.1% of the world's population is affected by hereditary tooth loss, causing them significant difficulty chewing.
Japanese people with this condition are often forced to wear masks to cover their incomplete mouths.
Therefore, the new drug, if successfully tested, would offer a "game-changing" solution for those affected.
Researchers aim to bring the drug to market as early as 2030, prioritizing treatment for children.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhat-ban-thu-nghiem-thuoc-moc-rang-185241213102621305.htm
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