Baby drug 'hit blood cell growth' THALIDOMIDE.Byline: MAGGIE BARRY SCIENTISTS have solved why thalidomide thalidomide (thəlĭd`əmĭd'), sleep-inducing drug found to produce skeletal defects in developing fetuses. The drug was marketed in Europe, especially in West Germany and Britain, from 1957 to 1961, and was thought to be so safe that - the drug once taken by pregnant women to relieve morning sickness - caused deformities in babies. The team, led by researchers at the University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen is an ancient university founded in 1495, in Old Aberdeen, Scotland and a world-renowned centre for teaching and research. It is the fifth oldest university in the United Kingdom and the wider English-speaking world. , found a component of the drug prevents the growth of new blood vessels in the developing embryo. Dr Neil Vargesson, lead researcher, said: "We have put to rest a 50-year puzzle, in finally deducing how thalidomide triggers limb defects and why it appears to target limbs." The drug is still used to treat leprosy, cancer of the bone marrow and as an anti-tumour agent. It is estimated that more than 10,000 babies were damaged by thalidomide.. |
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