A research team from Japan has developed a drug named TRG-035 that has the capability to regrow human teeth. It has shown success in regrowing teeth in animals and human trials in 2024. This treatment focuses on a gene responsible for tooth growth and is also designed to stimulate the growth of a third set of teeth.
Dr. Katsu Takahashi, a lead scientist at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka, Japan, has been studying the genetic principles of tooth development for years, and his recent findings have been published in Scientific Reports. The findings show how medicine targeting the protein synthesized by the USAG-1 gene could impact the number of teeth grown in animals. The lead scientist and his team are now focusing on humans, as this dormant protein prevents dormant “tooth buds” from developing after the permanent teeth have come in.
“The idea of growing new teeth is every dentist’s dream. “I’ve been working on this since I was confident I’d be able to make it happen,” Dr. Takahashi, head of the dentistry and oral surgery department at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital, told the Japanese daily newspaper The Manichi in 2023. “We are hoping to see a time when tooth regrowth medicine is a third choice alongside dentures and implants.”
An initial phase of clinical trials began in October 2024 at Kyoto University Hospital. It involves 30 healthy adult males to test the drug’s safety. Assuming phase 1 is successful, subsequent trials in 2025 will test the drug’s effectiveness on children aged 2 to 7 who have congenital tooth deficiency (anodontia). The scientist believes that activating the third set of buds with the right gene manipulation could promote tooth regrowth.
These impactful studies come from Japan, which has conducted a detailed study in science regarding regrowing teeth in dental pulp research and dental bone regeneration. If clinical trials continue to be successful, researchers aim to make the treatment available for general use by 2030. Initially, we will target individuals with congenital tooth agenesis, a genetic condition where some or all permanent teeth fail to develop. However, the technology’s potential benefit extends to a wider range of patients who experience tooth loss.