BHU researchers develop new method to address tooth agenesis in children

NEW DELHI: Banaras Hindu University (BHU) researchers have come up with a novel therapeutic approach to address tooth agenesis in children. Tooth agenesis, BHU said, is termed as a condition where teeth are missing or are not developed due to mutations in PAX9. PAX9 is one of the genes important for tooth development.

According to some studies, the university statement said, about 11 per cent of the Indian population faces the issue of tooth agenesis. Multiple research and works are being carried out across the world to determine the causes of tooth agenesis and possible cures to the problem. BHU researchers have conducted a first of its kind work in this regard. Prof. Parimal Das, Coordinator, Centre for Genetic Disorders, and his Ph.D. scholar Mr. Prashant Ranjan, have come up with a novel therapeutic approach to address tooth agenesis in children.

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The study has paved way for new works towards drug development to address tooth agenesis in children. Professor Parimal Das and Prashant Ranjan are now working on discovering the drug molecule based on the results of this study using human cell lines. The findings of the study have been published in the high-impact journal of the field “International Journal of Biological Macromolecules”.

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The research team studied hundreds of mutant PAX9 variants (where tooth agenesis could have been prevalent). It discovered that out of all these mutant PAX9 variants, six were most deleterious, i.e. resulting in tooth agenesis.

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The scientists, the BHU statement added, then studied further these most deleterious PAX9 variants to find out a common unique region in PAX9 protein which was hampered in the same way. It is to be noted that protein-protein interaction and DNA-protein interaction in PAX9 is necessary for tooth development.

The in-silico (bio-informatics) analysis of these mutations revealed a unique region which did not participate in protein-protein interaction and DNA-protein interaction. These unique sites where protein-protein interaction and DNA-protein interaction were not taking place were used as novel drug target for restoring the function of the gene.