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A start-up from Kyoto University, Japan, is pioneering a revolutionary solution for human tooth regeneration. Toregem Biopharma is working on a treatment designed to stimulate the natural regrowth of teeth, with clinical trials on humans expected to begin as early as 2024.
This groundbreaking idea is inspired by animal observations. Sharks can quickly regenerate lost teeth, and rabbits have continuously growing teeth. Toregem Biopharma aims to enable humans to mimic these abilities through a novel treatment that deactivates the USAG-1 protein, which normally halts tooth growth.
The 2007 Discovery that Changed Everything
In 2007, researchers discovered a mouse with extra teeth. “We found that in mice lacking the USAG-1 gene, the tooth buds that normally degenerate and disappear continued to develop,” the company explains on its website. This observation led scientists to explore an antibody targeting USAG-1 to stimulate tooth growth.
Successful tests were first conducted on mice and later on ferrets, where a seventh incisor emerged, confirming the treatment’s effectiveness. The results were published in 2021 in the National Library of Medicine, generating excitement in the dental field.
Preparing for Human Trials
Buoyed by these early successes, Toregem Biopharma is now preparing to test the TRG-035 antibody, which targets the USAG-1 protein, on humans. Clinical trials are set to begin in July 2024, with the goal of bringing the drug to market by 2030, according to the Japan Times. This innovative treatment could be a significant breakthrough in dental care.
Toregem Biopharma sees this treatment as particularly beneficial for individuals suffering from tooth loss, whether due to aging or genetic disorders such as anodontia, a condition where tooth buds fail to develop. Administered through injections, the treatment offers a natural alternative to implants and dentures by helping patients regain their own teeth.
A New Hope for Tooth Regrowth
The treatment works by stimulating the growth of a third set of teeth after baby and permanent teeth. This third set, which rarely occurs in the general population, is already found in some individuals with hyperdontia (an excess of teeth), a condition that affects about 1% of the global population.
“The idea of growing new teeth is a dream for every dentist,” said Katsu Takahashi, co-founder of Toregem Biopharma and head of dental surgery at Kitano Hospital in Osaka. The demand for such a treatment is significant: the World Health Organization reports that about 7% of people over the age of 20 and 23% of people over 60 suffer from tooth loss. Around 10% of children are also affected, making this treatment a potentially life-changing solution.
If clinical trials prove successful, Toregem Biopharma could revolutionize dental care and bring smiles back to millions of people around the world.
