After a reported £3 million investment round, a new keratin-based enamel regeneration technology developed by King’s College London (KCL) researchers is moving towards commercial market launch next year.
Hoxton Ventures, a London-based venture capital firm which was an early backer of tech firms such as Deliveroo, is leading the funding round for Eterna Regeneratives. Founded by Sherif Elsharkawy, clinical lecturer in prosthodontics at KCL, and PhD candidate and CEO Khaled Eissa, start-up Eterna Regeneratives develops regenerative biomaterials using naturally derived molecules to help the body rebuild tissues.
Existing approaches to enamel loss largely focus on managing associated symptoms or replacing damaged tissue with synthetic materials. Eterna says its approach uses keratin to form a layer similar to the original enamel directly on the tooth surface through a biomimetic mineralisation process.
Sherif Elsharkawy and PhD student Sara Gamea conducted laboratory experiments on extracted teeth, finding that the layer formed on the tooth surface by the keratin was almost as hard and mechanically strong as healthy enamel.
Khaled Eissa said: ‘Enamel is one of the only things the human body can’t regenerate. We wanted to create a product that is readily available, scalable and has the potential to deliver long-term results.’
Commercial applications of enamel regeneration
The research has now been developed into a patented technology, which Eterna hopes will be accelerated towards the market by early 2027. The technology is being developed in a mouthwash and professional products for use in dental care, researchers say, though development, testing and regulatory work is required before launch.
Dr Elsharkawy said: ‘Solving enamel loss, which frequently leads to even worse conditions and diseases, is a major step forward to better oral health care. It is a validation of years of research, and a step change in how quickly we can bring this technology to patients.’
Hoxton Ventures and The Venture Collective are co-leading the investment, which Sky News reported as being £3million.
Hussein Kanji, partner at Hoxton Ventures, said: ‘(This) technology has the potential to transform oral care from managing enamel loss to actually repairing it, while opening the door to broader applications in tissue and bone regeneration.’
Read Dentistry‘s in-depth exploration of the latest tooth regeneration research.
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