13C6 leucine

13C6 leucine is a stable isotope-labeled tracer compound in which all six carbon atoms of the essential amino acid leucine are replaced with carbon-13 (¹³C) isotopes. It is not a conventional therapeutic drug but rather a pharmacokinetic research tool used in Stable Isotope Labeling Kinetics (SILK) studies. In clinical research, such as studies sponsored by Kuopio University Hospital, it is administered intravenously to patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) to measure the in vivo production and clearance rates of amyloid isoforms (such as amyloid-beta peptides) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Once incorporated into newly synthesized proteins, the labeled leucine allows researchers to quantify protein turnover rates, including in subjects carrying genetic variants that alter Alzheimer's disease risk. It is classified as a small molecule diagnostic tracer and has no defined pharmacological biological target in the traditional therapeutic sense.

Other names

L-leucine-13C6L-leucine13C6L-leucine 13C6[13C6]-L-leucineU-13C6-leucineU13C6-leucineU 13C6-leucine13C6-labeled leucine