Stable heavy isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, and other elements have been incorporated into drug molecules, largely as tracers for quantitation during the drug development process. Deuteration has gained attention because of its potential to affect the pharmacokinetic and metabolic profiles of drugs[1].
References:
[1]. Russak EM, et al. Impact of Deuterium Substitution on the Pharmacokinetics of Pharmaceuticals. Ann Pharmacother. 2019;53(2):211-216.
[2]. Luzzio MJ, et al. Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel water soluble derivatives of camptothecin as specific inhibitors of topoisomerase I. Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel water soluble derivatives of camptothecin as specific inhibitors of topoisomerase I.
[3]. Bertozzi D, et al. The natural inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase I, camptothecin, modulates HIF-1α activity by changing miR expression patterns in human cancer cells. Mol Cancer Ther. 2014;13(1):239-248.
[4]. Huang Q, et al. Evolution in medicinal chemistry of E-ring-modified Camptothecin analogs as anticancer agents. Eur J Med Chem. 2013;63:746-757.
[5]. Tesauro C, et al. Topoisomerase I activity and sensitivity to camptothecin in breast cancer-derived cells: a comparative study. BMC Cancer. 2019;19(1):1158. Published 2019 Nov 29.
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