Taurine: a simple supplement to fight radiation mouth sores?
NCT ID NCT07567742
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 2 trial tests whether taking taurine (a common amino acid) can prevent or reduce severe mouth sores caused by radiation therapy in people with nasopharyngeal cancer. 130 patients will take taurine pills or receive standard care starting 3 days before radiation until 1 week after. The main goal is to see if fewer people get severe mouth sores with taurine.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- taurine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost way to reduce painful mouth sores during radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (130 people) and not yet recruiting. The open-label design means both patients and doctors know who gets taurine, which can bias results. Taurine may not reduce severe mouth sores more than standard care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 130 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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May 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 18-70 years. 2. Histologically confirmed newly diagnosed non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (WHO classification). 3. Non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Stage I-III) according to the AJCC 9th edition staging system. 4. Scheduled to receive radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). 5. No prior history of anti-cancer treatment. 6. ECOG performance status 0-1; adequate organ function within 2 weeks before enrollment; Hematology: hemoglobin \> 90 g/L; absolute neutrophil count \> 1.5×10⁹/L; platelet count \> 100×10⁹/L. Biochemistry: total bilirubin ≤ 1.5×ULN; ALT, AST ≤ 2.5×ULN; ALP ≤ 2.5×ULN; creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min. 7. For patients with abnormal ECG or prior cardiovascular disease, additional cardiac function tests and echocardiography must be normal. 8. Provided written informed consent and willing to comply with study visits, treatment, laboratory tests, and other protocol requirements. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known intolerance or hypersensitivity to taurine or its excipients. 2. Conditions that interfere with oral drug administration (e.g., dysphagia, chronic diarrhea, intestinal obstruction). 3. Prior history of malignant tumor. 4. Pregnant or lactating women. (Pregnancy testing is required for women of childbearing potential; effective contraception must be used during treatment.) 5. History or presence of severe oral ulcers, oral diseases, or salivary gland diseases. 6. Unwilling to stop smoking, drinking alcohol, or chewing betel nut. 7. Presence of severe active comorbidities. 8. Severe dysfunction of heart, brain, lung, or other vital organs. 9. Active infection requiring treatment; long-term use of immunosuppressive agents; psychiatric disorders. 10. Unable to complete radiotherapy or likely to delay radiotherapy for more than 1 week due to subjective factors. 11. Any other condition deemed inappropriate by the investigator.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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- Can a lower radiation dose still beat nasopharyngeal cancer?