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The discovery could have the effect of a small revolution in the dental field. A team of Japanese researchers have in fact discovered how to deactivate a gene, responsible, according to them, for blocking the regrowth of teeth in humans. Explanations.
Today, our teeth have two lives, after the loss of milk teeth during childhood, a second row of permanent teeth grows, and that’s it. If they fall out, or have to be pulled out, only technical procedures recreating the lost tooth can help patients regain their smiles.
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However, this reality could soon be a thing of the past. Indeed, a team of researchers from Kitano Hospital in Osaka (Japan) announced that they had made a major discovery. According to them, all adults have a third row of teeth, ready to emerge, in the gums, but this never emerges because of a gene blocking tooth regrowth. Not only did these researchers manage to identify the gene, USAG-1, but they also developed a drug capable of deactivating it.
According to 20 minutesthe treatment would have proven its effectiveness on mice. “Antibody treatment in mice is effective for tooth regeneration and may constitute an advance in the treatment of dental anomalies in humans,” the team announced, with supporting photos.
Osaka researchers recently moved to clinical trials on humans who are missing at least one molar, reports TF1who adds that this antibody drug is already used to treat osteoporosis, a disease that affects bones in humans. Clinical trials are expected to continue until 2025.
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If the trials are conclusive, the drug, expected by 2030, could revolutionize dental care by allowing unlimited tooth regrowth. This would shake up the world of oral care. But France Info specifies that the treatment will first be tested on children aged 2 to 7 years old, suffering from a congenital disease preventing teeth from growing. Ultimately, this treatment could benefit people who have lost teeth due to injuries or cavities.
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