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Amino Acid Supplement

Arginine + Radiotherapy for Cancer Spread to the Brain

Phase < 1
Recruiting
Led By Lisa Sudmeier, MD, PhD
Research Sponsored by Emory University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up up to 1 year
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial aims to find the best way to give arginine to patients with cancer that has spread to the brain. Arginine is a type of amino acid that can help improve how brain metastases respond

Who is the study for?
This trial is for patients with cancer that has spread to the brain. Participants must be able to undergo procedures like CT scans, MRI, and radiation therapy. The study will test if arginine, an essential amino acid, can improve how brain metastases respond to radiation.
What is being tested?
The trial is evaluating oral or intravenous administration of arginine combined with whole-brain radiotherapy in treating brain metastases from primary cancers. It aims to find the best dosing strategy by measuring blood levels of arginine before and after administration.
What are the potential side effects?
Potential side effects may include reactions related to arginine supplementation such as gastrointestinal discomfort or changes in blood pressure, as well as typical risks associated with radiation therapy like fatigue, hair loss at treatment sites, and skin irritation.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~up to 1 year
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and up to 1 year for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Peak plasma L-arginine (arginine) and arginine metabolite concentration
Secondary study objectives
Describe The Immunological Effects of Oral versus IV Arginine
Describe The Metabolic Effects of Oral versus IV Arginine
Frontal cortex blood volume/flow changes with L-arginine administration
+2 more

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Arm B (oral L-arginine, WBRT)Experimental Treatment6 Interventions
Patients receive L-arginine PO followed by WBRT approximately 1 hour later for up to 10 days of treatment over 2 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo CT at screening, undergo collection of blood samples and spectroscopy on study, and undergo MRI at screening and follow up.
Group II: Arm A (IV L-arginine, WBRT)Experimental Treatment6 Interventions
Patients receive L-arginine IV over 10-20 minutes followed by WBRT approximately 1 hour later for up to 10 days of treatment over 2 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo CT at screening, undergo collection of blood samples and spectroscopy on study, and undergo MRI at screening and follow up.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
2017
Completed Phase 3
~1180
Biospecimen Collection
2004
Completed Phase 3
~2030
Computed Tomography
2017
Completed Phase 2
~2790
Arginine
2016
Completed Phase 4
~760
Spectroscopy
2018
Completed Phase 1
~20
Whole-Brain Radiotherapy
2012
Completed Phase 2
~150

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

National Cancer Institute (NCI)NIH
13,957 Previous Clinical Trials
41,112,571 Total Patients Enrolled
Emory UniversityLead Sponsor
1,708 Previous Clinical Trials
2,607,474 Total Patients Enrolled
Lisa Sudmeier, MD, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorEmory University Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute
~7 spots leftby Dec 2025