Replacing teeth can be a very expensive endeavor, with bills reaching thousands per tooth. Yet, we have all experienced issues with our teeth at some point that required fillings, crowns, or having the tooth pulled out. What if regrowing teeth was an option? Well, as it turns out, there is a chance that it soon will be! If you are wondering how this is possible, keep reading below!
Growing a Third Set of Teeth
For many years, scientists have been searching for approaches that could potentially replace the traditional methods of fixing teeth with fillings or crowns. According to a researcher based in Osaka, Katsu Takahashi, our species once possessed the ability to grow a third set of teeth. His team believes that humans actually still possess the ‘buds’ needed to grow another set of teeth. According to Takahashi, “The number of teeth varied through the mutation of just one gene,” he said. “If we make that the target of our research, there should be a way to change the number of teeth (people have).”
The only problem is the presence of a molecule called USAG-1. This molecule controls how many teeth we develop as adults, inhibiting any further growth. Takahashi’s team announced that they had created a medicine capable of turning USAG-1 off in 2023. They accomplished this by administering antibodies against USAG-1 via RNA. However, tests up to now have been limited to animal subjects, with humans recently added to trials. If found effective, this breakthrough medicine could be available to the public as soon as 2030.
Leave a Reply