Clinical trials

In the Philippines, a disease is considered rare if it affects one in every 20,000 individuals. About 75% of rare diseases in the country, including inborn errors of intermediary protein metabolism (IEIPM), are of genetic in origin with symptoms beginning in early infancy with about 30 percent of patients dying before the age of five. Diagnosing nutritional problems in pediatrics with IEIPM is challenging due to the potential absence or masking of early signs and symptoms. Nutrition care is more difficult to manage since dietary modification for these patients require extraordinary and diligent attention as an uncontrolled or poorly managed diet can lead to severe health conditions. Its detrimental effects are irreversible and might last until adulthood affecting the overall quality of life and well-being of the child and increasing the burden on parents and families. Hence, there is a compelling impetus to gain further understanding on these aspects, particularly at the earliest stages of growth and development. However, previous studies in the Philippines that have specifically focused on the nutritional needs of pediatric patients with IEIPM are scarce. Therefore, this underscores the imperative need to carry out thorough evaluation of the nutritional characteristics of Filipino neonates, infants, children, and adolescents who have been diagnosed with IEIPM. This study will provide information on nutritional status among pediatric patients with IEIPM in the local setting. The results will form a potential basis for incorporating rare diseases in the comprehensive nutrition program at the local government units focusing on the targeted special needs of this vulnerable group. The data on the dietary intakes will provide clinicians a better picture of the overall nutritional intake and the specific nutrients that may be lacking for optimal growth and development of infants and children under a restricted special diet. Moreover, this may also provide an opportunity to evaluate the adapted nutritional management guidelines being implemented in the continuity clinics in the country. Lastlly, the knowledge that will be generated will lead to a better understanding of the relationship between nutritional status, body composition, dietary intake, and some of the important biochemical and clinical outcomes that can guide the development of appropriate nutrition policies, guidelines tailored to fit the Filipino pediatric population with IEIPM. This study on IEIPM which covers amino acid disorders, organic acidemias, and urea cycle defects, recognizes the crucial role of research in defining health programs and activities for these rare conditions in support of the Republic Act no. 10747, also known as the Rare Diseases Act of the Philippines.

This study aims to address the gap by investigating the correlation between body composition and metabolism in adult and older Filipino endurance and strength athletes. It seeks to offer significant insights that can guide age- and sport-specific training programs, nutritional strategies, and health interventions adapted to the requirements of Filipino athletes. The results may help enhance the wider discussion on fostering healthy aging and athletic longevity in the Philippines.

The goal of this study is to determine the protein quality of Philippine mung beans. The main objective of this study is to determine the metabolic availability of methionine in mung beans that the body can use. We will test the mung beans by studying them after cooking them as sauté. This research is being done in order to bridge the gap between knowledge of protein requirement and the amount of food needed to meet that requirement. Results from this study will be important for recommendations guiding food choices of mung beans as a major protein source in the diet. Each study participant will be part of seven (7) different experimental diets, and randomly assigned to one of the diets every time. Four (4) reference diets would be based on egg protein composition, and three (3) test diets will have protein from cooked mung beans. Each experimental diet will be studied over 3 days: 2 adaptation days and 1 study day. The meals during the 2-day adaptation period would be consumed at home. On the study day, following a 10 to 12-h overnight fast, the study participants will come to the research unit at the Department of Science - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines, for a period of 8 to 9 hours and consume the diets as 9 hourly meals.

The goal of this intervention study is to determine the effects of indispensable amino acid (IAA) supplementation on children of either sex, aged 18 to 36 months. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does IAA supplementation affect biomarkers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), through the Dual Sugar Lactulose/Rhamnose (L/R) test, plasma intestinal fatty acid binding protein, plasma lipopolysaccharide binding protein, fecal myeloperoxidase, fecal neopterin, and gut microbiota? * Does IAA supplementation impact amino acid digestion, as assessed by a dual-stable isotope tracer? * What is the weight gain and the changes in length-for-Age z-scores (LAZ) and body composition? The researchers will compare the effects of consumption of standard complementary food with added IAA against a control group that has no added IAA through the assessment of the various biomarkers. Participants will: * answer questions regarding personal, demographic, anthropometric, and food intake information. * provide biological samples, including breath, urine, stool, blood, and saliva. * consume solutions or meals that contain sugars and/or stable isotope tracers. * visit the FNRI and receive house visits by study staff. * consume complementary food with or without supplement daily for 28 days.