d-phenylalanine (Karolinska University Hospital)

D-phenylalanine, specifically in its deuterium-labeled forms such as d5-phenylalanine and d8-phenylalanine, is a stable isotope-labeled amino acid used primarily as a research and diagnostic tracer in metabolic studies. It is not a therapeutic drug but a tool for measuring the in vivo synthesis rates of proteins, such as albumin and fibrinogen, using the flooding dose technique. In clinical research, particularly studies led by Jan Wernerman at Karolinska University Hospital, these tracers are administered intravenously to healthy volunteers to validate protein synthesis measurement methodologies. As a stable isotope tracer, it does not have a traditional therapeutic target or brand name and is not intended for the treatment of any disease.

Other names

D-phenylalaninedeuterated phenylalaninestable isotope-labeled phenylalanine