Could a simple protein help kids fight COVID-19?
NCT ID NCT05855330
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether giving arginine (a natural protein) by IV can improve how cells produce energy in children hospitalized with COVID-19. About 21 kids aged 3 to 21 will receive one of three doses three times a day for up to five days. Researchers will measure changes in mitochondrial function and amino acid levels to see if arginine helps recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- arginine (a protein given by IV infusion)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, safe treatment to help children recover faster from COVID-19 by boosting energy in their cells.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early-phase pilot study with only 21 children, so results may not be conclusive. Arginine can cause side effects like flushing, nausea, or headache.
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
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 21 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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3 to 21 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Established diagnosis of COVID-19 requiring admission to the hospital for treatment of COVID-19 infection * Age 3 years - 21 years of age Exclusion Criteria: * Severe hepatic dysfunction: ALT\> 6 x Upper limit of normal * Renal dysfunction: Creatinine \> 1.5 x upper limit of normal or on dialysis * Acute Stroke * Pregnancy * Allergy to arginine * Past history of severe cardiac disease or significant cardiac surgery \[minor procedures like ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair are not an exclusion\] * History of significant pulmonary disease \[Cystic Fibrosis, sickle cell disease (SCD)\] * History of organ transplant * History of metabolic or mitochondrial disease (including Diabetes) * History of severe neurocognitive delays (severe cerebral palsy, anoxic brain injury) * History of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt or hydrocephalus * PI discretion that the patient is not an ideal candidate for the study * History of HIV of immune compromise
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), Arthur M. Blank
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
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- Can an oral drug stop COVID-19 from turning deadly?
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