Keratin technology advances enamel regeneration

Iveta Ramonaite, Dental Tribune International

Wed. 7 October 2026

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LONDON, England: Current approaches to enamel remineralisation can promote mineral recovery in demineralised enamel, but cannot regenerate enamel structure once it has been lost. Last year, researchers at King’s College London demonstrated that keratin derived from wool fibres can form a mineralised scaffold on enamel, showing potential for both protection and repair. They have now secured US$4 million (€3.5 million*) in funding through their spin-out Eterna Regeneratives and are working to translate the technology into consumer and professional products for enamel protection and repair.

Eterna is developing a patented keratin-based biomaterial designed to promote mineralisation directly on the tooth surface and support the formation of an enamel-like layer. “We are developing everyday consumer products for ongoing enamel protection and repair of early mineral damage, alongside professionally applied products for more targeted treatment of early enamel lesions and other forms of enamel loss,” Dr Agron Hoxha, a senior scientist at Eterna Regeneratives, told Dental Tribune International.

In their 2025 study, the researchers demonstrated that keratin self-assembles into an organic scaffold on and within damaged enamel, providing sites where minerals present in the surrounding environment can begin to form and guiding their organised growth into apatite nanocrystals. In experimentally induced early enamel lesions, the process substantially restored both the optical appearance and mechanical properties of damaged enamel. Separate studies published in 2026 have also demonstrated keratin-mediated remineralisation and protection against subsequent acid exposure.

A key advance of the approach is the ability of the keratin matrix to direct the ordered growth and alignment of apatite nanocrystals, helping to recreate enamel’s hierarchical structure. “Rather than simply adding material to the tooth, the technology creates the architecture through which an enamel-like mineral layer can form,” Dr Hoxha explained.

Eterna is now translating the laboratory findings into final product formulations and is conducting testing and holding discussions with potential partners. The company is focusing on optimising delivery, durability and performance under real-world conditions.

The published enamel studies to date have used human enamel samples rather than human participants. The researchers told Dental Tribune International that they are therefore in advanced discussions with clinical and commercial partners regarding the next stage of clinical studies.

“For our consumer products, those studies will allow us to substantiate and expand the range of claims we can make around the technology,” Dr Hoxha said. “They are particularly important for our professionally applied products, where we are developing the clinical evidence, treatment protocols and partnerships needed to support adoption in dental practice,” he added.

Eterna was founded in 2024 by Dr Sherif Elsharkawy, chief scientific officer, and Dr Khaled Eissa, CEO. The investment round, led by Hoxton Ventures and The Venture Collective, will help Eterna accelerate product development, expand its research and prepare its first product for market entry. By incorporating the material into products such as toothpaste, mouthwash and professionally applied treatments, the company aims to bring the technology to consumers by early next year.

Commenting on the investment, Hussein Kanji, founding partner at Hoxton Ventures, said in a press release: “Eterna is the kind of company we bet on early: it’s built on powerful, defensible science with a clear and capital-efficient route to market.” He added: “Its technology has the potential to transform everyday oral care products from tools that manage enamel loss into products that help repair it, while opening the door to broader applications in tissue and bone regeneration.”

Alongside enamel repair, Eterna is developing its regenerative biomaterials platform for other applications, and bone repair represents its next area of focus. The company’s research in this field has already demonstrated the potential of keratin-based scaffolds to support bone regeneration in an animal model.

Editorial note:

* Calculated on the OANDA platform for 17 September 2026.