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Can an antioxidant supplement calm sickle cell blood cells?

NCT ID NCT04109820

Disease control Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 02, 2026 · Last updated Sep 03, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether MitoQ, an antioxidant supplement, can improve platelet function in adults with sickle cell anemia. Platelets in sickle cell disease are often overactive, which may contribute to blood vessel damage and complications. Researchers will give 18 participants, including healthy African American controls, MitoQ (20 mg daily for 14 days) and measure changes in platelet activation, blood pressure, and markers of red blood cell breakdown. The study aims to see if this supplement could offer a new way to ease the disease's effects.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
MitoQ, an antioxidant dietary supplement taken orally as a 20 mg capsule once daily for 14 days
What this could lead to
If MitoQ improves platelet function and reduces vascular stress, it could point toward a simple supplement to help manage sickle cell disease complications.
What could go wrong
This is a very small early trial with only 18 participants, and MitoQ has never been tested in sickle cell disease before. It may not show meaningful benefits, and the short 14-day course limits what can be concluded.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

18 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2020

Finished

Jun 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Subjects * African American * Patients with sickle cell anemia * 18 years old or older Control * African American healthy controls * 18 years of age or older Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnancy, 2. Known hypertension, 3. Hemodialysis and active obstructive sleep apnea requiring treatment. 4. Use of anti-platelet medication or have had transfusion in the 4 weeks prior to enrollment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

sickle cell disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Sickle cell disease

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15224, United States

  • Hillman Cancer Center

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15232, United States

  • Magee Women's Hospital

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

  • UPMC Montefiore

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

  • UPMC Presbyterian

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

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