University of Nottingham researchers have developed a protein-based gel that stimulates enamel-like mineral growth by extracting calcium and phosphate from saliva. In lab studies on extracted human molars the gel formed a thin protective layer within weeks, and the regenerated material resisted simulated brushing, chewing and acidic exposure. Clinical trials are planned for early next year and the team aims to commercialize the technology, though they stress that human in vivo validation is still required.
New Protein Gel Could Let Teeth Regrow Enamel, Lab Tests Show
University of Nottingham researchers have developed a protein-based gel that stimulates enamel-like mineral growth by extracting calcium and phosphate from saliva. In lab studies on extracted human molars the gel formed a thin protective layer within weeks, and the regenerated material resisted simulated brushing, chewing and acidic exposure. Clinical trials are planned for early next year and the team aims to commercialize the technology, though they stress that human in vivo validation is still required.
09:53 AM, 11/11/2025Science
Researchers develop protein-based gel that rebuilds tooth enamel in lab tests
Scientists at the University of Nottingham report a promising new protein-based gel that can repair and rebuild tooth enamel by harnessing the body’s own mineral-growth processes. Published in Nature Communications, the research describes a biomimetic material that draws calcium and phosphate ions from saliva to nucleate and grow mineral crystals that integrate with existing tooth structure.
The gel was applied to extracted human molars in laboratory experiments and produced a thin, protective, enamel-like layer within weeks. Because tooth enamel does not naturally regenerate, this result marks a significant advance: the regenerated material, the team says, withstands simulated real-world challenges such as tooth brushing, chewing and exposure to acidic foods.
“When our material is applied to demineralized or eroded enamel, or exposed dentine, the material promotes the growth of crystals in an integrated and organized manner, recovering the architecture of our natural healthy enamel,” said lead author Abshar Hasan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Nottingham.
The researchers also report the gel can be used to coat exposed dentine, the porous tissue beneath enamel that becomes vulnerable when enamel is lost and can increase the risk of sensitivity and infection.
University of Nottingham biomedical engineering professor Alvaro Mata told New Scientist that mineral growth can begin within a week. The team tested mechanical properties of the regenerated tissue under simulated conditions and found that the new layer behaved like healthy enamel in those laboratory simulations.
Mata and colleagues plan to commercialize the technology through a startup called Mintech-Bio, and clinical trials are scheduled to begin early next year. The authors emphasize, however, that substantial work remains: current results are from lab and ex vivo tests and do not fully reproduce the complexity of the living oral environment.
“These experiments demonstrate a capacity to grow enamel-like structures under conditions that closely imitate various mechanical and chemical challenges found in the mouth,” the paper notes. “However, to fully confirm the capacity to regenerate natural enamel would require in vivo validation, which we envision to pursue in future work.”
While cautious, the team hopes the approach could one day offer a single-step treatment to regenerate dental enamel and protect exposed dentine, potentially shifting dentistry from mainly preventing and arresting decay to actually reversing enamel loss.