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Review
. 2011 Dec;72(6):879-97.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.04071.x.

Applications of stable isotopes in clinical pharmacology

Reinout C A Schellekens  1 , Frans Stellaard, Herman J Woerdenbag, Henderik W Frijlink, Jos G W Kosterink
Affiliations
Review

Applications of stable isotopes in clinical pharmacology

Reinout C A Schellekens et al. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2011 Dec.

Erratum in

  • Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013 Apr;75(4):1171

Abstract

This review aims to present an overview of the application of stable isotope technology in clinical pharmacology. Three main categories of stable isotope technology can be distinguished in clinical pharmacology. Firstly, it is applied in the assessment of drug pharmacology to determine the pharmacokinetic profile or mode of action of a drug substance. Secondly, stable isotopes may be used for the assessment of drug products or drug delivery systems by determination of parameters such as the bioavailability or the release profile. Thirdly, patients may be assessed in relation to patient-specific drug treatment; this concept is often called personalized medicine. In this article, the application of stable isotope technology in the aforementioned three areas is reviewed, with emphasis on developments over the past 25 years. The applications are illustrated with examples from clinical studies in humans.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the study design of a comparative bioavailability study with (a) or without stable isotope technology (b)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Decision tree to support classification of a product containing a stable isotopically labelled substance
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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