09/08/2025
Scientists Begin The First Human Trial of Tooth-Regrowth Drug
Japanese dental researchers have taken a groundbreaking step toward natural tooth regeneration. In October 2024, Dr. Katsu Takahashi’s team at Kitano Hospital (Osaka), in collaboration with Kyoto University, initiated Phase I human clinical trials of a drug that could enable the body to grow new teeth naturally. This trial, currently involving 30 healthy adult men aged 30–64, aims to evaluate the drug’s safety profile.
The therapy works by blocking a protein called USAG-1, which normally inhibits the development of additional teeth. By suppressing USAG-1, the drug reactivates dormant tooth buds, potentially leading to the growth of a “third set” of teeth. In animal studies, a single dose was enough to regenerate fully functional teeth in mice and ferrets.
If successful, researchers plan to extend trials to children with congenital tooth agenesis. Commercial availability is projected around 2030, potentially replacing the need for implants with true biological tooth regrowth.
Sources: Preclinical and news reports from Japan’s Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital and Kyoto University (AFP/Medical Xpress), and coverage in Oral Health publications.
Muhammad Zubair Hashmi
