Arginine therapy for sickle cell pain episodes
2/2: Sickle Cell Disease Treatment with Arginine Therapy (STArT) trial
Giving IV L-arginine to children with sickle cell disease during painful vaso-occlusive episodes to help lower pain, reduce opioid use, and shorten hospital stays.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177766 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child with sickle cell disease is admitted to the hospital for a painful vaso-occlusive episode, doctors would give IV L-arginine every eight hours for several days or a placebo without knowing which one your child receives, and then compare pain, opioid use, and length of stay. The team previously completed a single-center randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 54 children that showed large reductions in opioid use and lower pain scores, and found dose-related improvements in mitochondrial function. This phase 3 effort aims to expand that work at participating hospitals to see if the benefits hold up in a larger group and to monitor safety and recovery.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with sickle cell disease (pediatric patients up to about 11 years old) who are admitted for vaso-occlusive painful episodes are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without sickle cell disease, adults, or children not currently having a vaso-occlusive pain episode would not be expected to benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the therapy could reduce pain and opioid needs during sickle cell pain crises and shorten hospital stays for children.
How similar studies have performed: A prior randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 54 children found IV L-arginine reduced total opioid use by about 54% and produced lower pain scores, so this larger trial builds on promising early results.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Casper, Theron C — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Casper, Theron C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.