University Health Network & University of Toronto

Research Summary: Iron plays an essential role in normal human physiology. It is not only a critical component of hemoglobin, but also is important in many intracellular pathways. Surprisingly, there is no mechanism to modulate iron loss from the body ‐ thus iron absorption must be well controlled. Iron overload may be seen with excessive dietary ingestion. Taurine (2‐aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a unique amino acid derivative that is not involved in protein synthesis. Its administration has been shown to benefit the treatment of congestive heart failure, liver disease, skeletal muscle disorders and some complications associated with diabetes in animal models. This project aims to determine if taurine can play a role in reducing abnormal intracellular Ca2+ and Fe2+ flux to minimize oxidative and inflammatory damage caused by Fe2+ overload in cardiomyocytes and other tissues.

SF Summarization: This project aims to determine if taurine has a role in reducing the abnormal flux of calcium ions and ferrous ions to minimize oxidative and inflammatory damage caused by an iron level overload in heart muscle cells and other tissues.

Current Status: Ongoing

Stage: Clinical study