A company in Japan is developing a drug that stimulates the growth of new teeth from tooth buds that most of us have but which do not normally develop. Toregem Biopharma, spun off from Kyoto University, hopes to get the drug to market by 2030 to treat anodontia—children who lack teeth—and to replace adult choppers lost to accidents, abuse and cavities.
The team created an antibody drug that inhibits the protein that suppresses the growth of teeth. The drug works on these buds and stimulates their growth.
In 2018, the team also administered the drug to ferrets, which have both baby and permanent teeth similar to humans, and new teeth grew.
Remember, the Tooth Child is hungry. ↓
