Tooth Regeneration Sounds Like a Great Idea

In this week's episode, we take a first look at early-stage clinical trials for tooth regrowth in Japan. We look at some of the key molecules involved in tooth development, and why they are suppressed after our permanent teeth come in. Finally, we explore what happens when the protein that stops tooth growth is turned off.ReferencesNovacescu D, Dumitru CS, Zara F, Raica M, Suciu CS, Barb AC, Rakitovan M, Armega Anghelescu A, Cindrea AC, Diana S, Gaje PN. The Morphogenesis, Pathogenesis, and Molecular Regulation of Human Tooth Development—A Histological Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025 Jun 27;26(13):6209. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26136209 Moradi Z, Karimi M, Kolahdouz S, Arya N, Akheshteh V, Ayanzadeh F, Aalizadeh Y, Moravvej H, Keshavarzi M, Basri A. USAG‐1 and Regenerative Dentistry, Therapeutic Implications and Future Directions: Review of the Literature. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research. 2026 Feb;12(1):e70301. https://doi.org/10.1002/cre2.70301Murashima-Suginami A, Takahashi K, Sakata T, Tsukamoto H, Sugai M, Yanagita M, Shimizu A, Sakurai T, Slavkin HC, Bessho K. Enhanced BMP signaling results in supernumerary tooth formation in USAG-1 deficient mouse. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. 2008 May 16;369(4):1012-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.02.135Takahashi K, Kiso H, Mihara E, Takagi J, Tokita Y, Murashima-Suginami A. Development of a new antibody drug to treat congenital tooth agenesis. Journal of Oral Biosciences. 2024 Dec 1;66(4):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.job.2024.10.002Share with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released.Follow us on Social Media:FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedInTiktokYoutubeFor more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.comThank you for listening!