Researchers are testing whether adding magnesium supplements to a special diet can help patients who receive bone marrow transplants for acute leukemia. When doctors do a bone marrow transplant, the new cells sometimes attack the patient’s body, causing serious complications. Scientists think magnesium might reduce inflammation and prevent these problems. In this study, 50 patients will receive either magnesium supplements or a placebo (fake pill) along with a special diet designed to protect their immune system. Researchers will measure inflammation markers in the blood to see if magnesium makes a difference in how well patients recover.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether adding magnesium supplements to a special diet helps prevent serious complications in patients receiving bone marrow transplants for acute leukemia
  • Who participated: 50 patients with acute leukemia admitted to a bone marrow transplant ward in Tehran, Iran, divided into two equal groups of 25 people each
  • Key finding: This is a study protocol (a plan for research), not yet completed. Researchers will measure inflammation markers and track complications to see if magnesium helps patients recover better from transplants
  • What it means for you: If results show magnesium helps, it could become a simple, affordable addition to transplant care. However, these findings won’t be available until the study is completed and analyzed

The Research Details

This is a randomized controlled trial, which is considered one of the strongest types of medical research. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either magnesium supplements or a placebo (inactive pill) for 3 weeks while following a special neutropenic diet—a diet designed to reduce infection risk in transplant patients. Neither the patients nor the researchers will know who gets the real magnesium and who gets the fake pill until the study ends, making it “double-blind.” This design prevents bias and ensures fair comparison between the two groups.

The study will take place at Taleghani Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Researchers will collect detailed information about what patients eat using 24-hour food recall interviews, measure blood tests for inflammation markers, and track clinical outcomes like whether patients develop graft-versus-host disease (a condition where transplanted cells attack the patient’s body).

The magnesium dose will be 420 mg of magnesium citrate (a form of magnesium that’s easy for the body to absorb) given daily for 3 weeks. This is a higher dose than typical supplements, chosen specifically to test magnesium’s anti-inflammatory effects during the critical transplant recovery period.

This research approach is important because bone marrow transplant patients face serious, life-threatening complications. By using a randomized, double-blind design, researchers can determine whether magnesium actually helps or if any benefits are just from patients expecting improvement. Measuring specific inflammation markers in the blood provides objective evidence of whether magnesium reduces the body’s inflammatory response, which is the suspected mechanism for preventing transplant complications.

This is a well-designed study protocol with several strengths: it uses randomization to prevent bias, includes a placebo control group for fair comparison, is double-blinded to prevent expectation effects, and measures specific biological markers rather than relying only on patient reports. The study is registered in an international clinical trial database, which increases transparency. However, the relatively small sample size (50 patients) means results should be interpreted cautiously and may need confirmation in larger studies. The study is still in the planning phase, so actual results are not yet available.

What the Results Show

This document is a study protocol, meaning it describes the plan for research that has not yet been completed. Therefore, actual results are not available. The researchers will measure four main inflammation markers: Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP). These are blood tests that show how much inflammation is happening in the body. Higher levels suggest more inflammation and potentially more serious complications.

Once the study is completed, researchers will compare these inflammation markers between the magnesium group and the placebo group to see if magnesium reduces inflammation. They will also track clinical outcomes like how many patients develop graft-versus-host disease, how severe it is, and how well patients recover overall.

The study will follow the intention-to-treat principle, meaning all enrolled patients will be included in the final analysis even if they don’t complete the full 3 weeks of supplementation. This approach gives a realistic picture of how the treatment works in real-world conditions.

Beyond inflammation markers, researchers will track other important outcomes including the severity and timing of graft-versus-host disease, infection rates, hospital stay length, and overall patient recovery. They will also analyze dietary intake data to understand how nutrition during transplant recovery affects outcomes. These secondary outcomes help paint a complete picture of whether magnesium supplementation improves overall transplant success.

Very few clinical studies have examined high-dose oral magnesium supplementation in bone marrow transplant patients. Most previous research on magnesium and inflammation comes from laboratory studies or studies in other patient populations. This trial will be one of the first to rigorously test magnesium supplementation specifically in acute leukemia patients undergoing bone marrow transplants, filling an important gap in medical knowledge. Previous research suggests magnesium may reduce inflammation through multiple pathways, but this needs to be proven in actual transplant patients.

This study has several important limitations to consider. First, it’s relatively small with only 50 patients, which means results may not apply to all populations. Second, it only lasts 3 weeks, so researchers won’t know if longer-term magnesium use provides additional benefits. Third, it’s conducted at a single hospital in Iran, so results may differ in other countries with different patient populations or medical practices. Fourth, the study only measures inflammation markers and some clinical outcomes—it doesn’t examine all possible side effects or long-term consequences. Finally, because this is a protocol document, we don’t yet know if the study will successfully enroll all 50 patients or if any unexpected problems will arise during the research.

The Bottom Line

This is a study protocol, not completed research, so no clinical recommendations can be made yet. Patients currently undergoing bone marrow transplants should continue following their doctor’s prescribed diet and treatment plan. Once this study is completed and results are published, doctors may consider magnesium supplementation as a potential addition to standard care if it shows promise. Patients should not start taking high-dose magnesium supplements on their own without medical supervision, as this could interfere with transplant medications or cause side effects.

This research is most relevant to patients with acute leukemia who are candidates for bone marrow transplants, their families, and their medical teams. Oncologists and transplant specialists should follow this research as it may eventually inform standard care protocols. General readers interested in how minerals affect immune system recovery may find this interesting, but it doesn’t apply to people not undergoing transplants. Patients with kidney disease should be especially cautious about magnesium supplementation and should only take it under medical supervision.

Since this is a study protocol, actual results won’t be available for at least 1-2 years after enrollment is complete. The 3-week supplementation period is relatively short, so any benefits or side effects should appear within that timeframe. However, longer-term effects on transplant success may take months to fully evaluate. Patients should expect that even after the study is published, it may take additional time for doctors to incorporate findings into standard practice.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you’re a transplant patient, track your daily magnesium intake (if prescribed), inflammation-related symptoms like fatigue or fever, and any signs of graft-versus-host disease such as skin rashes or digestive problems. Record these daily in a simple log to share with your medical team.
  • Work with your transplant team to follow the prescribed neutropenic diet consistently. If magnesium supplementation is recommended, set daily reminders to take your supplement at the same time each day. Keep a food diary to ensure you’re meeting nutritional goals while protecting your immune system.
  • Schedule regular blood work as recommended by your transplant team to monitor inflammation markers and overall recovery. Use the app to track appointment dates, lab results, and any symptoms between visits. Share this information with your medical team to help them assess how well your recovery is progressing and whether any adjustments to your care plan are needed.

This article describes a research study protocol that has not yet been completed. No clinical findings or recommendations are available at this time. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be used to make medical decisions. Patients with acute leukemia or those undergoing bone marrow transplants should work closely with their oncology and transplant teams regarding all aspects of their care, including diet and supplementation. Do not start, stop, or change any medications or supplements without explicit approval from your medical team. Magnesium supplementation may interact with transplant medications or be unsafe for patients with certain kidney conditions. Always consult your healthcare provider before considering any new supplements or dietary changes during cancer treatment or transplant recovery.