About Us Portfolio Press Careers Sitemap Advertise Contact Us Make this your Homepage

Custom Search

Register

Sign In

Sign In Using Facebook

Home » Drug News

The Connection Between Thalidomide and Severe Birth Defects

by Savitha on May 14, 2009 at 2:30 PM Drug News

The question troubling scientists for 50 years regarding the connection between thalidomide and birth defects, experienced by many pregnant women of the fifties , seems to have found an answer in the findings of Scot researchers.

Related Links

Dr. Neil Vargesson, of Aberdeen University, accords the reason to a component of the drug that prevented the growth of new blood vessels, and subsequently caused limb defects in the developing embryo.

"We have put to rest a 50-year puzzle, in finally deducing how thalidomide triggers limb defects and why it appears to target limbs preferentially. This is an important discovery. Many models have been suggested as to how these defects were caused but now we know how it worked," the Scotsman quoted the lecturer in Developmental Biology as saying.

"This is the first paper to conclusively show that it is the anti-angiogenic property of the drug - that element that inhibits new blood vessel formation - that is to blame for the defects. The drug prevented early blood vessels going into the limb," Vargesson added.

But Martin Johnson, the director of the Thalidomide Trust cast a shadow of doubt on the claims, saying: "These findings are a puzzle to me. A number of people believe this mystery was solved ten years ago when the theory these people are following was comprehensively demolished."

Page 1

Page 1 | 2

Next

How Changing Light Could Help People With Dementia, Other Diseases

Meditation Helps Build Stronger Brains, Positive Emotions

More News on: Achondroplasia, Birth Defect - Genetic, Birth Defects - Introduction, Environmental Birth Defects, Birth defects - Infections, Multifactorial Birth Defects, Birth Defect - Structural Defects, Klinefelters Syndrome, Amniocentesis

Comment & Contribute

Be the first to comment!
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters
	Notify me when reply is posted I agree to the terms and conditions
Your comments are automatically posted once they are submitted. All comments are however constantly reviewed for spam and irrelevant material (such as product or personal advertisements, email addresses, telephone numbers and website address). Such insertions do not conform to our policy and 'Terms of Use' and are either deleted or edited and republished. Please keep your comments brief and relevant.This section may also have questions seeking help. If you have the information you are welcome to respond, but please ensure that the information so provided is genuine and not misleading.

Medwonders Health Network

Support Groups Members Discussions

Total Members - 54954
Support Groups - 445

Health News Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Latest News Most Popular Most Commented

Five More Patients Die as Doctors' Strike Continues in AP

Imogen Thomas Seeks Hypnotherapy To Get Rid of Cake Addiction

Website To Promote Premarital Virginity Launched in China

Excessive Consumption of Phosphate Pose Risk To Health

RSBY to Provide Health Insurance for 66,000 J&K Families

News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :

News Quick Links

	News Central			Health Watch
	Latest Health News			Health In Focus
	News Category (500+)			Breaking Health News
	Popular News			Celebrating Life
	Health News and Press Release			Medindia - Exclusive
	News Photo Gallery			India Special
	News Video Gallery			Lifestyle and Wellness
	News From Other Resources

News Categories:


»	Website To Promote Premarital Virginity Launched in China

»	Last Chocolate Always Tastes the Best

»	How Would You Rate Your Health?

»	Plastic Addicted Teen Has Consumed More Than 60,000 Goods

»	Career Graph is Great for People Who Have Easy to Pronounce Names
More Life Style News

Drug Related News
»	Research Says Financial Burden of Prescription Drugs is Dropping	»	New Guidelines to Avoid Heparin Contamination
»	Weight Loss Drug Has Killed At Least 1,300 in France	»	FDA Approves Sanofi�s Treatment for Head Lice
»	New Scoring Method may Help Decide Who Will Benefit From Stroke Drug	»	New Guidelines Recommend Metformin to Treat Type 2 Diabetes
»	Novel Prostate Cancer Drug Target Identified	»	Aspirin Helps Prevent DVT

Read More >>

Achondroplasia Support Group	Birth Defect - Structural Defects Support Group	Birth Defects - Genetic Support Group
Birth defects - Infections Support Group	Environmental Birth Defects Support Group	Klinefelter's Syndrome Support Group
Multifactorial Birth Defects Support Group

The Connection Between Thalidomide and Severe Birth Defects

Medwonders Health Network

Drug Related News

Consumers

Medical Professionals

Medical Students

Directories