ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07567742Updated Oct 30, 2026

Taurine for the Prevention and Treatment of Radiation-induced Oral Mucositis in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

A Phase 2 interventional study of Taurine in Oral Mucositis (Ulcerative) Due to Radiation and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC), sponsored by Sun Yat-sen University. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-30.

Sponsored by Sun Yat-sen University · Phase 2, Interventional, and Prevention

From the registry’s dates

  • Started May 2026; still recruiting 6 months later.
Updated Oct 30, 2026Now RecruitingSite recruiting status changed+1 moreGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
130
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 70 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This clinical trial aims to understand whether taurine can prevent and reduce severe radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy.

02

Conditions studied

  • Oral Mucositis (Ulcerative) Due to Radiation
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)

Keywords

  • Radiation-induced Oral Mucositis
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • Taurine
03

In context

Stomatitis

306 studies on the registry are indexed under Stomatitis; 75 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 130 is above the median of 60 across 276 interventional studies indexed under Stomatitis.

Browse Stomatitis studies →

Lead sponsor

Sun Yat-sen University is the lead sponsor of 1,690 studies on the registry; 619 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 70 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Age 18-70 years.
  2. confirmed newly diagnosed non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (WHO classification).
  3. Non- 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. performance status 0-1; adequate organ function within 2 weeks before enrollment; Hematology: > 90 g/L; > 1.5×10⁹/L; count > 100×10⁹/L. Biochemistry: total ≤ 1.5×; , AST ≤ 2.5×ULN; ALP ≤ 2.5×ULN; ≥ 50 mL/min.
  7. For patients with abnormal or prior cardiovascular disease, additional cardiac function tests and echocardiography must be normal.
  8. Provided written and willing to comply with study visits, treatment, laboratory tests, and other protocol requirements.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Known intolerance or to taurine or its .
  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 ; effective 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 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.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(17)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Histologically or cytologically confirmed

The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).

Your pathology report is the document that shows this.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

ECOG performance status

A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.

0
Fully active, no restrictions.
1
Limited in strenuous activity, but walking and able to do light work, such as housework or office work.
2
Walking and able to look after yourself, but unable to work; up and about more than half of waking hours.
3
Able to look after yourself only in part; in bed or a chair more than half of waking hours.
4
Unable to look after yourself at all; in bed or a chair all day.

Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Creatinine clearance (CrCl)

How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.

ECG (electrocardiogram)

A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Excipients

The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
130 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Taurine

    Oral taurine 1 g twice daily, starting 3 days before radiotherapy until 1 week after completion of radiotherapy, plus standard of care for RIOM.

    Drug: Taurine

  • No intervention
    Control

    Patients in the control arm will receive the standard of care for RIOM.

Interventions

  • Oral taurine 1 g twice daily, administered from 3 days before the start of radiotherapy until 1 week after the completion of radiotherapy.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence of Severe Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis

    The incidence of Grade ≥3 radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) in the experimental and control groups, as assessed using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) acute RIOM grading scale.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy

Secondary outcomes

  1. Onset Time of Severe Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis

    The interval from the start of radiotherapy to the first occurrence of severe radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM). Severe RIOM is defined as Grade ≥3 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) acute RIOM grading scale.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy

  2. Duration of Severe Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis

    The interval from the first occurrence of severe acute radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) to its resolution to Grade ≤2, as assessed according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) acute RIOM grading scale. Severe RIOM is defined as Grade ≥3 on the RTOG acute RIOM grading scale.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy.

  3. Recovery Rate of Severe Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis

    The proportion of patients whose severe acute radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) resolves to Grade ≤2 during the overall observation period, as assessed according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) acute RIOM grading scale. Severe RIOM is defined as Grade ≥3 on the RTOG acute RIOM grading scale.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy

  4. Incidence of Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis

    The proportion of patients who develop any-grade acute radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) (Grade ≥1) during the overall observation period, as assessed according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) acute RIOM grading scale.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy

  5. Incidence of Radiotherapy Interruption

    The proportion of patients who experience a radiotherapy interruption of 5 or more consecutive days during the radiotherapy period due to acute radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) or other related adverse events.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy through completion of radiotherapy, an average of 7 weeks.

  6. Quality of life (QoL)

    Quality of life related to head and neck symptoms will be assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Head and Neck Module (EORTC QLQ-H\&N35), version 1.0. This questionnaire comprises 35 items, including seven multi-item scales and 11 single-item measures. All scales and items will be scored according to the official EORTC Scoring Manual and linearly transformed to a 0 to 100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater symptom burden and poorer quality of life.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy

  7. Numeric Rating Scale for Pain

    Oral mucositis-related pain was assessed in all participants using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), an 11-point scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain imaginable. Higher scores indicate worse pain.

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy

  8. Safety as Assessed by CTCAE

    Adverse events were monitored and recorded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 5.0

    Time frame: From the start of radiotherapy to 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started May 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2027, 10 months after the start.

Of 39 phase 2 interventional studies under Stomatitis, half reached primary completion within 35 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 48. This study's planned 10 months is below that.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Apr 16, 2026
First posted
May 5, 2026
StartActual
May 8, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Mar 30, 2027
CompletionEst.
Mar 30, 2029
Last update
Oct 30, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
Status
Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
changed Oct 30, 2026
Sites
Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center is now Recruiting
Oct 30, 2026
Start date
May 6, 2026→May 8, 2026 (actual)
Oct 30, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Oct 30, 2026
    Not yet recruiting→Recruiting
    Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center is now Recruiting
    Start date May 6, 2026→May 8, 2026 (now actual)
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07567742
Responsible party
Jun Ma, MD (Professor/chief physician, executive deputy president, Sun Yat-sen University) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 5, 2026
Start date
May 8, 2026
Primary completion
Mar 30, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 30, 2029 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 30, 2026

Study contacts

Jun Ma
Contact
yangkb@sysucc.org.cn
+86-20-87343469
Yu-Pei Chen, MD
Contact
+86-020-87343581
Jun Ma
principal investigator · Sun Yat-sen University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drug tested here: Taurine

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