Japanese researchers from the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital, Osaka, have found that a groundbreaking antibody treatment can stimulate teeth regeneration in mice and ferrets. Using the antibody drug, the researchers achieved tooth regrowth by blocking the uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1) protein. They published a study last year demonstrating the effectiveness of the treatment in mice. The drug was developed aiming at children with genetic disorders affecting tooth growth.
Currently, the team has launched clinical trials to evaluate its potential on healthy adults who have lost at least one tooth. A dentistry professor from London has praised the Japan team’s research, highlighting that an antibody targeting a similar protein is already used to manage osteoporosis . However, an endodontics professor from Hong Kong has cautioned that results from animal…
