09/01/2025
🦷 Scientists in Japan have created a drug that lets humans regrow lost teeth naturally!
The medication, created by researchers led by Dr. Katsu Takahashi at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital, works by blocking a protein called USAG-1 that normally suppresses tooth growth.
In mouse trials, this inhibition successfully triggered the growth of brand-new teeth, and the team is now preparing for human clinical trials with the goal of making the treatment publicly available by 2030.
If successful, this therapy could transform dental care by giving people a third chance at growing their own teeth.
The science builds on decades of regenerative medicine research and the discovery that humans may have dormant “third set” tooth buds, much like animals such as sharks and elephants that naturally grow multiple sets of teeth.
Combined with ongoing advances in bone and dental pulp regeneration, scientists believe this approach could one day reverse tooth loss caused by genetics, injury, or aging. Within the next decade, what was once science fiction—regrowing teeth naturally—may become an everyday reality for patients around the world.
read the paper
Ravi, V., Murashima-Suginami, A., Kiso, H., Tokita, Y., Huang, C.L., Bessho, K., Takagi, J., Sugai, M., Tabata, Y., Takahashi, K. Advances in tooth agenesis and tooth regeneration. Regenerative Therapy, Vol 22, March 2023, Pages 160–168.
