Health Scientists from Japan have made a discovery that can make re-growing teeth possible

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Tooth loss is a widespread problem in adults and results in poor quality of life. Currently, solutions to this problem include artificial teeth and implants. But these aren’t as good as “real teeth,” and they don’t markedly improve quality of life. Now, scientists from Japan have made a discovery that can make re-growing teeth possible. They found, with animal studies, that suppressing the gene USAG-1 by using its antibody can efficiently lead to tooth growth.

The tooth fairy is a welcome guest for any child who has lost a tooth. Not only will the fairy leave a small gift under the pillow, but the child can be assured of a new tooth in a few months. The same cannot be said of adults who have lost their teeth.

A new study by scientists at Kyoto University and the University of Fukui, however, may offer some hope. The team reports that an antibody for one gene — uterine sensitization associated gene-1 or USAG-1 — can stimulate tooth growth in mice suffering from tooth agenesis, a congenital condition. The paper was published in Science Advances.

Although the normal adult mouth has 32 teeth, about 1% of the population has more or fewer due to congenital conditions. Scientists have explored the genetic causes for cases having too many teeth as clues for regenerating teeth in adults.

According to Katsu Takahashi, one of the lead authors of the study and a senior lecturer at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, the fundamental molecules responsible for tooth development have already been identified.

“The morphogenesis of individual teeth depends on the interactions of several molecules including BMP, or bone morphogenetic protein, and Wnt signaling,” says Takahashi.

 
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