Japan Trials Tooth Regrowth Drug for Humans

A 2021 study in Scientific Reports showed a drug blocking the USAG-1 gene protein enabled tooth regrowth in mice.

Led by Katsu Takahashi at Kitano Hospital, Osaka, the team launched a human clinical trial in 2025 to treat anodontia, affecting 1% of people with incomplete teeth sets.

Humans have a third set of tooth buds, as seen in hyperdontia cases.

The drug aims to activate these buds, offering a new option beyond dentures and implants by 2030.