The new drug that regrows teeth

Implants, goodbye. In fact, the first clinical trial of a drug designed to regrow missing teeth is about to start. It is a monoclonal antibody known, for now, by the acronym “TRG035”, developed by researchers …

The new drug that regrows teeth

Implants, goodbye. In fact, the first clinical trial of a drug designed to regrow missing teeth is about to start. It is a monoclonal antibody known, for now, by the acronym “TRG035”, developed by researchers at the Japanese Toregem Biopharma. The drug has already passed the first phase of testing on animals, and will now be tested for the treatment of congenital dental agenesis, the congenital lack of teeth linked to genetic causes. If the results in humans are comparable to those seen in animal models, however, the hope of the drug's creators is to use it to regrow any type of missing tooth, including those lost due to accidents or pathologies such as periodontosis.

TRG035 – explain the researchers at Toregem Biopharma, a start-up at Kyoto University created specifically for the development and marketing of the new drug – is a monoclonal antibody developed to selectively inhibit the functioning of a protein known as USAG-1, or uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 protein. The research of its creators, in fact, has shown that in mice and ferrets this protein acts by suppressing the growth of new teeth and bone tissue. And that its inactivation promotes bone regeneration and the production of new teeth, in animals affected by genetic forms of agenesis.

The clinical trial for now includes an initial phase in which the safety and best dosage of the drug on humans will be verified. At the end of this phase, which will recruit adult patients with a missing molar, the recruitment of pediatric patients suffering from severe congenital dental agenesis (six or more missing teeth) is expected. And therefore, if everything goes as hoped, the trial will also be extended to patients with less severe forms of congenital dental agenesis.

The expectations of Japanese researchers are very high, because the results on animal models have proven promising, and the USAG-1 protein is very similar in almost all mammals, including humans. And the goal, once the trials for congenital forms of missing teeth have been completed, is to test the drug also in people who have lost a tooth due to accidents, pathologies or aging. If all goes as hoped, the drug could be available within six years. And at that point, painful visits to the dentist to fix a dental implant could just become a thing of the past.

“We want to do something to help all the people who suffer from loose or missing teeth,” Katsu Takahashi, director of the dentistry and oral surgery department at Kitano Hospital, confirmed to a Japanese newspaper. “To date, no therapy has ever been found that provides a permanent cure for the problem. And it seems to us that people's expectations for tooth regeneration are extremely high.”