Bones have the nifty ability to regenerate after a break, making one wonder about the potential for teeth to do the same.
Teeth, on the other hand, lack the ability to regenerate.
Apparently, a group of Japanese researchers are planning to change that with a new experimental drug that will help you regrow your lost pearly whites.
Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE (but still in trials)
Japanese researchers have developed an experimental drug that could potentially enable humans to grow a third set of teeth.
Clinical trials began in September with a focus on treating congenital anodontia — a condition where individuals are born with few teeth.
According to The Japan Times, the researchers, including those from Kitano Hospital and Kyoto University Hospital, aim to apply the treatment to people who have permanently lost teeth due to cavities and other problems.
The study started with 30 men aged 30 to 64. This will be followed by trials on children aged 2 to 7 who lack at least four teeth.
The treatment is based on the discovery of a protein called USAG-1, which apparently inhibits tooth growth in adults.
A combination of undated handout images by the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka showing before and after images of the regrowth of teeth in a ferret and mice. — AFP
The new drug the researchers have developed counteracts this protein.
Previous animal studies, involving mice and dogs, demonstrated successful new tooth growth due to the drug.
"We want to do something to help those who are suffering from tooth loss or absence," Katsu Takahashi, the head of dentistry at the medical research institute at Kitano Hospital in Osaka.
"We knew that suppressing USAG-1 benefits tooth growth. What we did not know was whether it would be enough," he added.
The clinical trials will run through August next year, and if successful, they plan to make the treatment available by 2030.
References:
1. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/
