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Article being sent:	I have sent this article from the Barcelona Reporter website (www.barcelonareporter.com) because I think it will interest you. Article Title: Scientists discover why thalidomide caused severe birth defects to babies. Source: Article: Scientists discover why thalidomide caused severe birth defects to babies. Japanese scientists have discovered why thalidomide caused severe birth thousands of babies over half a century ago, which will produce safer derivatives of the drug, now prescribed to patients with multiple myeloma and leprosy. Using zebra fish and chickens, Takumi Ito, Hiroshi Handa and colleagues at the Tokyo Institute of Technology discovered that thalidomide inhibits the enzymatic activity of the protein cereblon, which is important for limb development. His research is published in the latest edition of the journal Science. In the 1950s and 1960s thalidomide was a sedative and was sold in over 40 countries and was prescribed to pregnant women to combat morning sickness, until they discovered its serious effects on the foetuses. The supply of thalidomide in the third and eighth weeks of gestation caused multiple heart defects, auditory, gastrointestinal and malformed limbs in more than 10,000 children, many of whom were born without legs or no arms. However, the drug is increasingly used today, albeit under strict controls, to treat leprosy and multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer. The mechanism of the drugs action was a mystery until now. "Our study will help to develop safer derivatives of thalidomide or alternative medicines," said Handa. Let The Barcelona Reporter Know What You Think Post your comment Below News Source © 2010 Barcelona Reporter Text within the news headline and/or news body may be subject to copyright Barcelona Reporter does not claim copyright to any such text.unless it is written by one of our reporters : Please refer to the URL-referenced web page (the ‘Article Source’) for further information and details of the original source from the Barcelona Reporter.com web site. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder Link: http://www.barcelonareporter.com/index.php?/news/comments/16592/ + + + + + + + + + + + + Barcelona Reporter is an online newspaper providing daily updated news and information for people with a special interest in the region of Catalonia. Launched during January 2005, our website has quickly established itself as a trusted source of news for its growing number of readers, many of whom are regular repeat visitors, who can now read a wide range of interesting and sometimes difficult-to-find Catalonia-related news items and opinion all in one place.