September will be a big month for people who’ve lost a tooth and wish they could regrow a new one like they did when they were kids. Following promising results in animal studies, Japanese researchers are set to begin human trials for a new drug that could regrow human teeth.
Right now, there are a whole lot of ferrets and rats with a beautiful set of chompers that they otherwise wouldn’t have had if not for the experimental drug. The drug deactivates a protein known as uterine sensitization-associated gene-1, or USAG-1. It’s a real pain in the ass as far as proteins go because this one inhibits tooth growth. The drug aims to inhibit the inhibiting protein, letting new tooth growth flourish. They’re trying to beat it as its own game.
Videos by VICE
The first phase of human trials will be held at Kyoto University and Kitano Hospital in Japan and will involve 30 men ages 30 to 64 who are missing at least one molar. The phase will last 11 months, with plans to expand the study to children ages 2 to 7 with congenital tooth deficiencies. Eventually, the experiment will expand to older adults, too.
The drug has been in development since 2005, and while this is potentially a groundbreaking discovery, it’ll still be a long time before a tooth-regrowing drug might be available. Optimistically, it could be ready for general use in 2030. Here’s hoping the test subjects have much to smile about.
