Arginine Therapy in Sickle Cell Disease-VOC Clinical Trial

Vaso-occlusion contributes significantly to morbidity in sickle cell disease (SCD). Vaso-occlusive painful episodes (VOE) are common and debilitating, causing the majority of emergency department visits. Currently efforts to treat painful episodes with use of non-steroidal pain relievers and intravenous narcotics offer symptomatic relief only, without targeting the underlying mechanisms of vaso-occlusion.Investigators have found that an arginine deficiency and low NO bioavailability occurs during painful events in SCD. Since arginine is the obligate substrate for NO production, and an acute deficiency is associated with VOE, investigators hypothesized that arginine supplementation may be a safe and beneficial treatment for sickle cell pain.