O.o! Circa 2021
False teeth could one day be a thing of the past, thanks to the discovery of an antibody that sparks the regeneration of lost teeth. By inhibiting the action of a gene called USAG-1, the antibody increases the availability of certain growth factors, and could eventually be used to help people grow a new set of pearly whites.
Publishing their work in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers describes how they genetically modified mice to suffer from tooth agenesis, where some teeth fail to develop. Injecting pregnant mice from this line with the USAG-1 antibody, however, resulted in normal tooth development among their offspring. Moreover, a single administration of the antibody caused the growth of a whole new tooth in regular mice.
The researchers decided to target the USAG-1 gene because it is known to inhibit two signaling molecules known as BMP and Wnt, both of which are involved in tooth development. However, because these compounds also control the growth of a wide range of other organs, interfering with them can produce an array of serious side-effects.
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