We recently announced that we have granted £273,648 to the University of Western Australia to investigate Taurine as a potential treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We have put together a short Q&A to explain why we are excited about this project and what it could mean for the Duchenne community. 

Q: What is so exciting about this project?

A: There is already significant pre-clinical work suggesting taurine improves muscle strength, reduces inflammation and projects against muscle wasting in DMD mice. This project will build on that pre-clinical work to create a stronger evidence base for taurine as a treatment for DMD.

Q:If this project is successful, what will the next stage be?

A: If taurine is shown in this study to have benefit when treating the DMD rat model, the next stage would be to plan a clinical study in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The project has been designed carefully to gather the information we will need to plan the trial.

Q: What is the appeal of using Taurine as a treatment for DMD?

A: Taurine is an amino acid which occurs naturally in all animal tissues and can be bought as a health food supplement. The safety of taurine and how the body handles it is already well understood. Also, taurine is cheap, readily available and stable. This means taurine could potentially be a promising treatment for people with DMD all over the world, especially in areas where high cost may be a barrier.

If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]