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]. Somm E, et al. β-Klotho deficiency protects against obesity through a crosstalk between liver, microbiota, and brown adipose tissue. JCI Insight. 2017 Apr 20;2(8). pii: 91809.
[3]. Wang X, et al. Acidified bile acids enhance tumor progression and telomerase activity of gastric cancer in micedependent on c-Myc expression. Cancer Med. 2017 Apr;6(4):788-797.