Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential of anti-USAG-1 antibody therapy for tooth regeneration; and what steps he is taking to ensure UK (a) researchers and (b) patients can participate in or contribute to trials of this therapy.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which supports clinical, public health, social care and global health research in partnership with the National Health Service, academia and wider stakeholders. The NIHR has not funded work on the anti-USAG-1 antibody therapy, but it does fund research into dental health through a range of projects and programmes and is committed to ensuring patients, including those with tooth loss or damage, can benefit from innovative treatments and access cutting edge clinical trials. The Department is also taking steps to accelerate clinical research, improve patient outcomes and strengthen the United Kingdom’s position as a global leader in life sciences.

To increase access to clinical research, the NIHR welcomes funding applications on all aspects of human health and care, including dental health, with proposals assessed through open, competitive peer review. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic

The NIHR funds research and research infrastructure which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research. The NIHR provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research' which promotes participation in health and care research, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. More information is available at the following link:

https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/