According to The Japan Times, after successful research, medical experts from Kitano Hospital and Kyoto University Hospital began putting teething drugs into clinical trials.
To test its safety, the experimental drug will be given to adult men with missing molars before being tested on children with congenital tooth loss.
The team aims to put this treatment into practical use around 2030.
According to experts, 1 in 100 people are born with missing teeth. In addition, 1 in 1,000 people will have a genetic mutation that causes them to be missing 6 or more teeth.
There is currently no definitive treatment for people with this condition, and children will often need to have new dentures made to accommodate their growth.
After discovering a protein called USAG-1 that inhibits tooth development, the team developed a drug that blocks the protein's function. Experiments on mice and dogs with congenital anodontosis showed that the animals grew teeth after being given the drug.
The clinical trials are expected to last until August 2025. In the first phase, 30 healthy men aged 30 to 64 will be given intravenous injections at Kyoto University Hospital to assess safety and appropriate dosage. In the second phase, children aged 2 to 7 who are missing at least four teeth will be tested.
In the future, this treatment could be applied to people who have lost permanent teeth due to tooth decay or other problems.
