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Rengel BD, Schuler-Faccini L, Fraga LR, Vianna FSL, Kowalski TW. Possible New Candidates Involved to Thalidomide-Related Limbs and Cardiac Defects: A Systems Biology Approach. Biochem Genet 2024:10.1007/s10528-024-10790-w. [PMID: 38689186 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-024-10790-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Thalidomide is a known teratogen that causes malformations especially in heart and limbs. Its mechanism of teratogenicity is still not fully elucidated. Recently, a new target of thalidomide was described, TBX5, and was observed a new interaction between HAND2 and TBX5 that is disrupted in the presence of thalidomide. Therefore, our study aimed to raise potential candidates for thalidomide teratogenesis, through systems biology, evaluating HAND2 and TBX5 interaction and heart and limbs malformations of thalidomide. Genes and proteins related to TBX5 and HAND2 were selected through TF2DNA, REACTOME, Human Phenotype Ontology, and InterPro databases. Networks were assembled using STRING © database. Network analysis were performed in Cytoscape © and R v3.6.2. Differential gene expression (DGE) analysis was performed through gene expression omnibus. We constructed a network for HAND2 and TBX5 interaction; a network for heart and limbs malformations of TE; and the two joined networks. We observed that EP300 protein seemed to be important in all networks. We also looked for proteins containing C2H2 domain in the assembled networks. ZIC3, GLI1, GLI3, ZNF148, and PRDM16 were the ones present in both heart and limbs malformations of TE networks. Furthermore, in the DGE analysis after treatment with thalidomide, we observed that FANCB, ESCO2, and XRCC2 were downregulated and present both in heart and limbs networks. Through systems biology, we were able to point to different new proteins and genes, and selected specially EP300, which was important in all the analyzed networks, to be further evaluated in the TE teratogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Duarte Rengel
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Brazilian Teratogen Information Service (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Medicine: Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lavínia Schuler-Faccini
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- National Institute of Population Medical Genetics (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Brazilian Teratogen Information Service (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas Rosa Fraga
- National Institute of Population Medical Genetics (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Brazilian Teratogen Information Service (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Medicine: Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- National Institute of Population Medical Genetics (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Brazilian Teratogen Information Service (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Medicine: Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Ramiro Barcelos Street, 2350, Porto Alegre, CEP 90035-903, Brazil.
| | - Thayne Woycinck Kowalski
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Evolution, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- National Institute of Population Medical Genetics (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Brazilian Teratogen Information Service (SIAT), Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Medicine: Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Ramiro Barcelos Street, 2350, Porto Alegre, CEP 90035-903, Brazil.
- Bioinformatics Core, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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Mueller M, Peakin J, Lewis DJ. Practical Considerations for the Implementation and Monitoring of Risk Minimisation Measures for High-Risk Teratogenic Medicines. Pharmaceut Med 2023; 37:439-449. [PMID: 37594662 DOI: 10.1007/s40290-023-00496-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable societal interest in making medicines more affordable. A critical factor often inadequately considered early in the process of adding drugs to a company's product portfolio is that some products may require additional monitoring and complex, demanding and expensive additional risk minimisation measures (aRMMs). These aRMMs may have a sizeable impact on a company's commitment to that medicinal product throughout the product's entire life cycle. The teratogenic phthalimides were selected as an example of medicines that are recently being genericised and require a substantial commitment in terms of additional monitoring and aRMMs, most notably in the form of pregnancy prevention programmes (PPPs) with controlled distribution systems (CDSs). Implementing PPPs with CDSs is complex and demanding and encompasses all routine activities, aRMMs, local/regional Health Authority (HA) requirements, and commercialisation strategies. Considerations have been summarised that can support decision-making during due diligence processes, implementation and monitoring. Proactive, effective pharmacovigilance requires innovative, sustainable and flexible solutions to maintain high standards across the board. In particular, generic marketing authorisation holders operate with limited resources and may benefit appreciably from the following proposed suggestions and solutions such as early planning and preparation, knowledge-sharing, utilisation of new technologies and implementation of measures beyond HA-mandated requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mueller
- Safety Risk Detection and Management, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Joseph Peakin
- Novartis Knowledge Center, Novartis Ireland Limited, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David J Lewis
- Patient Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Global Drug Development, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Wehr, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Postgraduate Medicine, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, UK
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Kaya C, Birgül K, Bülbül B. Fundamentals of chirality, resolution, and enantiopure molecule synthesis methods. Chirality 2023; 35:4-28. [PMID: 36366874 DOI: 10.1002/chir.23512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The chirality of molecules is a concept that explains the interactions in nature. We may observe the same formula but different organizations revolving around the chiral center. Since Pasteur's meticulous observation of sodium ammonium tartrate crystals' structure, scientists have discovered many features of chiral molecules. The number of newly approved single enantiomeric drugs increases every year and takes place in the market. Thus, separation or resolution methods of racemic mixtures are of continued importance in the efficacy of drugs, installation of affordable production processes, and convenient synthetic chemistry practice. This article presents the asymmetric synthesis approaches and the classification of direct resolution methods of chiral molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cem Kaya
- Department of Pharmacy, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Altınbaş University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Kaan Birgül
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Bahadır Bülbül
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Düzce University, Düzce, Turkey
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Campos FT, Santos RMMD, Costa JP, Pádua CAMD. Thalidomide control and use: are these appropriate to extend the use and mitigate the risk of teratogenicity in Brazil? CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2021; 26:4233-4242. [PMID: 34586274 DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232021269.19462020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug utilization research to describe the control of thalidomide in Brazil and its use in Minas Gerais state. An online questionnaire was sent to the Brazilian federative units to collect data concerning distribution, dispensation, user registration, and thalidomide adverse events. Distribution (2011-2018) and dispensing (2015-2018) data in Minas Gerais were obtained through the pharmaceutical care management system. Analysis of variance and Tukey test were used for data comparisons. Of the 16 participating federative units, 100% and 50% used electronic distribution and dispensing systems, respectively, and about 43% registered users. Adverse event reporting systems were scarce. A 44% reduction was observed in the distribution in Minas Gerais for the period. Dispensing remained constant (mean 0.0004 DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day) and occurred mainly for erythema nodosum leprosum and multiple myeloma. Off-label use (2.2%) was increasing. Most users were male (mean age 56 years) and thirty percent of women were of childbearing age. Thalidomide surveillance is a public health challenge. Despite the increased use and mandatory control, there is no national standardization, and adverse event reporting is incipient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Torres Campos
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha. 31270-901 Belo Horizonte MG Brasil. .,Fundação Ezequiel Dias. Belo Horizonte MG Brasil
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Mueller M, Lewis DJ. Implementation of a Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) with a Controlled Distribution System (CDS) for the Generic Teratogenic Phthalimides Thalidomide, Lenalidomide and Pomalidomide. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2021; 55:1155-1164. [PMID: 34331266 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-021-00327-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Thalidomide (α-phthalimidoglutaride) was marketed in the 1950s and early 1960s; it was promoted as a sedative-hypnotic agent with minimal hangover. It was available in some countries as an over-the-counter medicine. Publications reporting profound teratogenic effects with thalidomide brought about major revisions to the monitoring of the safety of medicines. As a consequence of previously unrecognised teratogenic effects, it has been estimated that over 12,000 children were born with a range of defects and disabilities, including severe congenital anomalies. Notably, it has been hypothesised that around 40% of babies with thalidomide-induced malformations born during the 1950s and 1960s died in the neonatal period. The commonest causes of death were atresia of the small bowel, cardiac or renal malformations. Nevertheless, phocomelia (as a typical manifestation of thalidomide´s teratogenic effects) has been reported once again after thalidomide was approved for use in areas where leprosy is endemic. As a result, thalidomide embryopathy remains an important topic in countries such as Brazil. Nowadays thalidomide is approved around the world for the treatment of a wide range of conditions, including leprosy, Crohn's disease, multiple myeloma, and certain malignant solid tumours. Second-generation immunmodulatory drugs including lenalidomide and pomalidomide have received approval for use in the management of various forms of neoplastic disease. Based on clinical experience with thalidomide and its derivatives, learnings have been transferred to further research on a subset of substituted phthalimides each of which has a high risk of causing teratogenic effects. This group of phthalimides is classified within regulatory science as human teratogens. In order to gain approval, a Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP), along with a Controlled Distribution System (CDS) is required. The challenges of PPPs in particular for a generic manufacturer have been described, including Raising of awareness, and education; Special aspects of data collection and evaluation; Ethically and socially relevant aspects, and Utilising existing information technology and infrastructure. This paper highlights the risks of unplanned pregnancies, provides information on the regulatory background, and regulatory expectations. Our aim is to provide insights and practical learnings that have impacted operational risk management with the teratogenic phthalimides. Opportunities are presented that may support the implementation of harmonised approaches for PPP and CDS using existing IT-systems across countries and companies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mueller
- Global Risk Management Plan Manager, Safety Risk Detection and Management, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - David J Lewis
- Chief Medical Office and Patient Safety, Global Drug Development, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Wehr, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Postgraduate Medicine, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, Herts, UK
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de Jesus SM, Santana RS, Leite SN. Comparative analysis of the use and control of thalidomide in Brazil and different countries: is it possible to say there is safety? Expert Opin Drug Saf 2021; 21:67-81. [PMID: 34232089 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2021.1953467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION One of the biggest drug disasters in history has not prevented thalidomide from being used to treat various clinical conditions. Currently, Brazil has a worrying scenario: high consumption of the drug and, cases of pregnant women using thalidomide, even after adopting restrictive legislation. AREAS COVERED This review of the literature and legislation sought to comparatively analyze the monitoring of thalidomide use in Brazil and other countries that use this drug. Finally, we discuss the differences between the countries. EXPERT OPINION This analysis allows us to think beyond the safe use of thalidomide, but the safety provided by any type of monitoring system. It seems that out-patients that use unsafe drugs are exposed to some degree of risk. To improve safety, more extensive improvements are needed than monitoring systems related to the use of thalidomide. Its safe use depends on a drastic reduction in the incidence of leprosy and Erythema Nodosum Leprosum in the world; investment in research and development of safe and effective therapeutic alternatives to thalidomide; improvement of health systems and their health surveillance systems, particularly in primary health care; awareness of health professionals and patients for greater responsibility in the use of medicines, especially thalidomide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soraya Machado de Jesus
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | | | - Silvana Nair Leite
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Thangaraju P, Venkatesan S, Gurunthalingam M, Babu S, T T. Rationale use of Thalidomide in erythema nodosum leprosum - A non-systematic critical analysis of published case reports. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2020; 53:e20190454. [PMID: 32935774 PMCID: PMC7491565 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0454-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Thalidomide is an anti- tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) drug used mainly in the management of moderate to severe form of Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL). Because of its teratogenic potential it has to be used under proper supervision. Our critical analysis tries to look into the rationale with which it has been used by means of case reports on lepra reaction. METHODS We looked for the case reports between December 2005 to June 2019 in databases like Pubmed, Embase and other relevant resources. We used search words like "erythema nodosum leprosum(ENL)", "thalidomide", "case report" in different combinations to get relevant reports that focus on thalidomide usage atleast once at any time point during management. The information extracted were indication of thalidomide use, dose, response, outcome, complication if any, along with all the demographic details and geographical distribution. RESULTS We found 41 case reports eligible for analysis.The information was critically evaluated. From the analysis it was found that 7 of the case report mentioned the exact indication, 4 case report showed irrational use of thalidomide in the case of neuritis without use of steroids, 7 showed proper use of Clofazimine prior to thalidomide initiation, 26 case report showed case report of rationale dose range and in 4 case reports clofazimine was used prior to thalidomide along with the rational dose of thalidomide. CONCLUSIONS This analysis helps to guide the rationale use of thalidomide focussing on few important points that anyone should keep in mind while managing a case of ENL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pugazhenthan Thangaraju
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Sajitha Venkatesan
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | | | - Shoban Babu
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Tamilselvan T
- School of information technology, SRM university, Sikkim, India
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de Jesus SM, Santana RS, Leite SN. The organization, weaknesses, and challenges of the control of thalidomide in Brazil: A review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008329. [PMID: 32760161 PMCID: PMC7410199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The drug thalidomide has resurged in the world market under restrictive conditions for marketing and use. In Brazil, there are still cases of pregnant women using thalidomide even after the implementation of laws that regulate the control of use (Law No. 10.651/2003 and Collegiate Board Resolution No. 11/2011). The objective of this study was to discuss the control of thalidomide use in Brazil, based on a scoping review of the scientific literature, documents, and data from the Ministry of Health. A total of 51 studies and documents related to the following subthemes were selected: (1) organization of access and use of thalidomide in the health system; (2) epidemiological and population characteristics of people affected by leprosy; and (3) occurrence of pregnancy and cases of embryopathy with the use of thalidomide. The results showed that Brazil has no unified information database about thalidomide patients. Furthermore, there is inconsistency in the accreditation of public health centers that dispense this medicine, in a country that has a high consumption of thalidomide in the Unified Health System. A large part of this amount of dispensed medicine is intended for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum, mainly in the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions of the country, which are endemic for leprosy. This disease is the only one among the clinical indications of the medicine approved in Brazil that does not have a Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines. The control of thalidomide use in Brazil presents historical regulatory failures. These are currently linked to the organization and structure of primary healthcare in the country, as well as to the lack of leadership of the Ministry of Health and National Health Surveillance Agency when it comes to managing the process of control of this use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soraya Machado de Jesus
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | | | - Silvana Nair Leite
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Asatsuma-Okumura T, Ito T, Handa H. Molecular Mechanisms of the Teratogenic Effects of Thalidomide. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13050095. [PMID: 32414180 PMCID: PMC7281272 DOI: 10.3390/ph13050095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide was sold worldwide as a sedative over 60 years ago, but it was quickly withdrawn from the market due to its teratogenic effects. Thalidomide was later found to have therapeutic effects in several diseases, although the molecular mechanisms remained unclear. The discovery of cereblon (CRBN), the direct target of thalidomide, a decade ago greatly improved our understanding of its mechanism of action. Accumulating evidence has shown that CRBN functions as a substrate of Cullin RING E3 ligase (CRL4CRBN), whose specificity is controlled by ligands such as thalidomide. For example, lenalidomide and pomalidomide, well-known thalidomide derivatives, degrade the neosubstrates Ikaros and Aiolos, resulting in anti-proliferative effects in multiple myeloma. Recently, novel CRBN-binding drugs have been developed. However, for the safe handling of thalidomide and its derivatives, a greater understanding of the mechanisms of its adverse effects is required. The teratogenic effects of thalidomide occur in multiple tissues in the developing fetus and vary in phenotype, making it difficult to clarify this issue. Recently, several CRBN neosubstrates (e.g., SALL4 (Spalt Like Transcription Factor 4) and p63 (Tumor Protein P63)) have been identified as candidate mediators of thalidomide teratogenicity. In this review, we describe the current understanding of molecular mechanisms of thalidomide, particularly in the context of its teratogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takumi Ito
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-3-9323-3250; Fax: +81-3-9323-3251
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Recent advances in the molecular mechanism of thalidomide teratogenicity. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 127:110114. [PMID: 32304852 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide was first marketed in 1957 but soon withdrawn because of its notorious teratogenicity. Studies on the mechanism of action of thalidomide revealed the pleiotropic properties of this class of drugs, including their anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory activities. Based on their notable activities, thalidomide and its analogues, lenalidomide and pomalidomide, have been repurposed to treat erythema nodosum leprosum, multiple myeloma and other haematological malignancies. Thalidomide analogues were recently found to hijack CRL4CRBN ubiquitin ligase to target a number of cellular proteins for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Thalidomide-mediated degradation of SALL4 and p63, transcription factors essential for embryonic development, very likely plays a critical role in thalidomide embryopathy. In this review, we provide a brief retrospective summary of thalidomide-induced teratogenesis, the mechanism of thalidomide activity, and the latest advances in the molecular mechanism of thalidomide-induced birth malformations.
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Schüler-Faccini L, Sanseverino MTV, Abeche AM, Vianna FSL, Fraga LR, Rocha AG, Silva AAD, Souza PRAD, Hilgert AH, Barbosa CP, Kauppinem CG, Martins DF, Santos DS, Colpes GH, Ecco G, Silva HMFSD, Penteado LP, Santos TD. From abortion-inducing medications to Zika Virus Syndrome: 27 years experience of the First Teratogen Information Service in Latin America. Genet Mol Biol 2019; 42:297-304. [PMID: 30985857 PMCID: PMC6687353 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2018-0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1990, the first Teratogen Information Service in Brazil (SIAT) was implemented in the Medical Genetics Service at Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre. SIAT is a free-to-use information service both to health professionals and the general population, especially to women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy. The main objective of this paper is to present the activities of SIAT in its initial years (1990-2006), compared to those in the last decade (2007-2017). In addition we review the scientific contribution of SIAT in the field of human teratogenesis. Since 1990, SIAT received 10,533 calls. Use of medications were the main reason for concern, accounting for 74% of all questions, followed by other chemical exposures (occupational, cosmetics, environmental), and maternal infectious diseases. Among its main contributions to scientific knowledge was the collaboration for the identification of two new human teratogens: misoprostol in the 1990s and Zika virus in 2015/16. In conclusion, SIAT is still evolving, as is the Medical Genetics Service that hosts it. Through its 27 years of existence more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students have rotated at SIAT. Presently, SIAT is expanding the research to experimental teratogenesis and to investigation of molecular mechanisms of teratogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavinia Schüler-Faccini
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa Vieira Sanseverino
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alberto Mantovani Abeche
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Rosa Fraga
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Anastacia Guimaraes Rocha
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - André Anjos da Silva
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Paulo Ricardo Assis de Souza
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Artur Hartmann Hilgert
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Camila Pocharski Barbosa
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Caroline Grasso Kauppinem
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Daniela Fernandes Martins
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Daniela Silva Santos
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Henrique Colpes
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Ecco
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Helena Margot Flores Soares da Silva
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Louise Piva Penteado
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tatiane Dos Santos
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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12
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Mansour S, Baple E, Hall CM. A clinical review and introduction of the diagnostic algorithm for thalidomide embryopathy (DATE). J Hand Surg Eur Vol 2019; 44:96-108. [PMID: 30253685 DOI: 10.1177/1753193418800631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Thalidomide embryopathy results from the ingestion of thalidomide in the first trimester during pregnancy, causing multiple forms of congenital abnormalities of variable severity that involve all systems. The skeletal findings most frequently affect the limbs, particularly the upper limbs and hands. Increasingly, several genetic disorders with similar birth defects have been identified. New cases of malformations owing to possible exposure to thalidomide continue to present through both historical and current usage. However, inadequate proof of ingestion, marked phenotypic variation and the possibility of an alternative genetic condition, hinder the diagnosis of thalidomide embryopathy. We introduce a 'diagnostic algorithm for thalidomide embryopathy' (DATE) diagnostic software that can potentially provide a numerical score for the likelihood of birth defects in an individual as being caused by exposure to thalidomide and to provide a differential diagnosis based on the pattern of malformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Mansour
- 1 Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK.,2 SW Thames Regional Genetics Service, St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Emma Baple
- 1 Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK.,3 Medical Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Christine M Hall
- 1 Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK.,4 Emeritus of Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London, UK
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13
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Niecke A, Peters K, Samel C, Forster K, Lüngen M, Pfaff H, Albus C. Mental Disorders in People Affected by Thalidomide. DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 114:168-174. [PMID: 28377012 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 50 years after the withdrawal of thalidomide from the market, subsequent orthopedic damages and psychosocial impairments dominate the complaints of thalidomide-affected individuals. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of mental disorders in this group. METHODS A total of 193 thalidomide-affected individuals from North Rhine-Westphalia (mean age 50.5 years, 56.5% women) underwent personal and comprehensive psychodiagnostic testing, which was based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV disorders (SCID-I & SCID-II) and self-reporting questionnaires. RESULTS Overall, the four-week prevalence of mental disorders was 47.2%. Multiple mental disorders were present in 45.1% among the 91 participants with diagnosed mental disorders. The most frequent diagnoses were unipolar depressive disorders (16.5%), somatoform disorders (14.0%), phobic disorders (12.4%), and alcohol-related disorders (6.2%). Immediate mental health care was indicated in 80.2% of participants with current mental disorders, but only 29.7% had used some form of psychosocial treatment in the 12 months preceding the study. CONCLUSION Mental disorders occur approximately twice as often (relative risk [RR]: 1.77; 95% confidence interval [1.49; 2.10]) in thalidomide-affected individuals as in the age-matched German population. Together with a very low rate of utilization of mental health care, this finding implies an underuse of psychosocial healthcare. The development of specialized psychosocial treatment services may remove barriers that impede access to the healthcare system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Niecke
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Cologne; Department of Orthopedics and Osteology, Dr. Becker Rhein-Sieg-Klinik Nümbrecht; Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology and Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Cologne; Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences; Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR), University of Cologne & University Hospital Cologne
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14
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Costa PDSS, Fraga LR, Kowalski TW, Daxbacher ELR, Schuler-Faccini L, Vianna FSL. Erythema Nodosum Leprosum: Update and challenges on the treatment of a neglected condition. Acta Trop 2018; 183:134-141. [PMID: 29474830 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) occurs due to the immunological complication of multibacillary leprosy and is characterized by painful nodules and systemic compromising. It is usually recurrent and/or chronic and has both physical and economic impact on the patient, being a very important cause of disability. In addition, ENL is a major health problem in countries where leprosy is endemic. Therefore, adequate control of this condition is important. The management of ENL aims to control acute inflammation and neuritis and prevent the onset of new episodes. However, all currently available treatment modalities have one or two drawbacks and are not effective for all patients. Corticosteroid is the anti-inflammatory of choice in ENL but may cause dependence, especially for chronic patients. Thalidomide has a rapid action but its use is limited due the teratogenicity and neurotoxicity. Clofazimine and pentoxifylline have slow action and have important adverse effects. Finally, there is no pattern or guidelines for treating these patients, becoming more difficult to evaluate and to control this condition. This review aims to show the main drugs used in the treatment of ENL and the challenges in the management of the reaction.
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15
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In vivo screening and discovery of novel candidate thalidomide analogs in the zebrafish embryo and chicken embryo model systems. Oncotarget 2017; 7:33237-45. [PMID: 27120781 PMCID: PMC5078090 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide, a drug known for its teratogenic side-effects, is used successfully to treat a variety of clinical conditions including leprosy and multiple myeloma. Intense efforts are underway to synthesize and identify safer, clinically relevant analogs. Here, we conduct a preliminary in vivo screen of a library of new thalidomide analogs to determine which agents demonstrate activity, and describe a cohort of compounds with anti-angiogenic properties, anti-inflammatory properties and some compounds which exhibited both. The combination of the in vivo zebrafish and chicken embryo model systems allows for the accelerated discovery of new, potential therapies for cancerous and inflammatory conditions.
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16
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Mazzu-Nascimento T, Melo DG, Morbioli GG, Carrilho E, Vianna FSL, da Silva AA, Schuler-Faccini L. Teratogens: a public health issue - a Brazilian overview. Genet Mol Biol 2017; 40:387-397. [PMID: 28534929 PMCID: PMC5488458 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital anomalies are already the second cause of infant mortality in Brazil, as in many other middle-income countries in Latin America. Birth defects are a result of both genetic and environmental factors, but a multifactorial etiology has been more frequently observed. Here, we address the environmental causes of birth defects - or teratogens - as a public health issue and present their mechanisms of action, categories and their respective maternal-fetal deleterious effects. We also present a survey from 2008 to 2013 of Brazilian cases involving congenital anomalies (annual average of 20,205), fetal deaths (annual average of 1,530), infant hospitalizations (annual average of 82,452), number of deaths of hospitalized infants (annual average of 2,175), and the average cost of hospitalizations (annual cost of $7,758). Moreover, we report on Brazilian cases of teratogenesis due to the recent Zika virus infection, and to the use of misoprostol, thalidomide, alcohol and illicit drugs. Special attention has been given to the Zika virus infection, now proven to be responsible for the microcephaly outbreak in Brazil, with 8,039 cases under investigation (from October 2015 to June 2016). From those cases, 1,616 were confirmed and 324 deaths occurred due to microcephaly complications or alterations on the central nervous system. Congenital anomalies impact life quality and raise costs in specialized care, justifying the classification of teratogens as a public health issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Mazzu-Nascimento
- Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São
Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Bioanalítica, Campinas,
SP, Brazil
| | - Débora Gusmão Melo
- Departamento de Medicina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde,
Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Giorgio Gianini Morbioli
- Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São
Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Bioanalítica, Campinas,
SP, Brazil
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of
Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emanuel Carrilho
- Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São
Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Bioanalítica, Campinas,
SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT),
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular,
Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio
Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - André Anjos da Silva
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT),
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- UNIVATES University, Lajeado, RS, Brazil
| | - Lavinia Schuler-Faccini
- Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT),
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular,
Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio
Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Newbronner E, Vargesson N, Atkin K. "The legacy of thalidomide" - A multidisciplinary meeting held at the University of York, United Kingdom, on September 30, 2016. Birth Defects Res 2017; 109:296-299. [PMID: 28398668 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Between 1957 and 1962 thalidomide was used as a nonaddictive, nonbarbiturate sedative that also was successful in relieving the symptoms of morning sickness in early pregnancy. Infamously, thousands of babies were subsequently born with severe birth defects. The drug is used again, today, to successfully treat leprosy, and tragically, there is a new generation of thalidomide damaged children in Brazil. While the outward damage in babies has been documented, the effects of the damage upon the survivors as they grow up, the lifestyle changes and adaptations required to be made, as well as studies into ageing in survivors, has received little attention and remains understudied. METHODS A unique multidisciplinary meeting was organized at the University of York bringing together thalidomide survivors, clinicians, scientists, historians, and social scientists to discuss the past, the current and the future implications of thalidomide. RESULTS There is still much to learn from thalidomide, from its complex history and ongoing impact on peoples' lives today, to understanding its mechanism/s to aid future drug safety, to help identify new drugs retaining clinical benefit without the risk of causing embryopathy. CONCLUSION For thalidomide survivors, the original impairments caused by the drug are compounded by the consequences of a lifetime of living with a rare disability, and early onset age-related health problems. This has profound implications for their quality of life and need for health and social care services. It is vital that these issues are addressed in research, and in clinical practice if thalidomide survivors are to "age well". Birth Defects Research 109:296-299, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Newbronner
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of York, Area 2 Seebohm Rowntree Building, Heslington, York
| | - Neil Vargesson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen
| | - Karl Atkin
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of York, Area 2 Seebohm Rowntree Building, Heslington, York
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18
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Sorensen D, Sackett A, Urban DJ, Maier J, Vargesson N, Sears KE. A new mammalian model system for thalidomide teratogenesis: Monodelphis domestica. Reprod Toxicol 2017; 70:126-132. [PMID: 28130151 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
From 1957 to 1962, thalidomide caused birth defects in >10,000 children. While the drug was pulled from the market, thalidomide is currently prescribed to treat conditions including leprosy. As a result, a new generation of babies with thalidomide defects is being born in the developing world. This represents a serious problem, as the mechanisms by which thalidomide disrupts development remain unresolved. This lack of resolution is due, in part, to the absence of an appropriate mammalian model for thalidomide teratogenesis. We test the hypothesis that opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is well suited to model human thalidomide defects. Results suggest that opossum embryos exposed to thalidomide display a range of phenotypes (e.g., heart, craniofacial, limb defects) and penetrance similar to humans. Furthermore, all opossums with thalidomide defects exhibit vascular disruptions. Results therefore support the hypotheses that opossums make a good mammalian model for thalidomide teratogenesis, and that thalidomide can severely disrupt angiogenesis in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sorensen
- School of Integrative Biology, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Amanda Sackett
- School of Integrative Biology, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Daniel J Urban
- School of Integrative Biology, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jennifer Maier
- School of Integrative Biology, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Neil Vargesson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Karen E Sears
- School of Integrative Biology, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Institute for Genomic Biology, 1206 W Gregory Drive, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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19
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Ghassemi Jahani SA, Karlsson J, Brisby H, Danielsson AJ. Health-related quality of life and function in middle-aged individuals with thalidomide embryopathy. J Child Orthop 2016; 10:691-703. [PMID: 27854003 PMCID: PMC5145847 DOI: 10.1007/s11832-016-0797-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of limb malformations on health-related quality of life (HRQL) and function of the extremities in middle-aged individuals with thalidomide embryopathy (TE). Between 1959 and 1962, approximately 150 children with multiple malformations were born in Sweden following the maternal intake of thalidomide during pregnancy, of whom 100 survived. METHODS Thirty-one individuals with TE underwent evaluations of musculoskeletal manifestations by clinical examination. Validated questionnaires were used for the assessment of general HRQL [the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the EuroQ Five Dimensions health questionnaire (EQ-5D)]. The function of the upper and lower extremities was evaluated using specific questionnaires (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scale and Rheumatoid and Arthritis Outcome Score, respectively). The lower limbs were evaluated by computed tomography. The median age of the study group was 46 years, and 42% were females. Twenty-five individuals had malformations of the hand, but 27 had a grip function. Five individuals had severe lower limb malformations. Individuals with at least one extremity with major malformation(s) that affected function (n = 15) were compared with those without (n = 16). RESULTS The physical HRQL for the entire study group [mean 40.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 35.4-45.8], as evaluated by the Physical Composite Score (PCS) of the SF-36, was significantly lower than the national norm value (population-based norm) of 50.0, and the physical HRQL of the subgroup with major limb malformations (15/31) was even lower (mean 34.6, 95% CI 25.9-43.4). The mental aspects of HRQL, based on SF-36 and EQ-5D scores, were not affected in the entire study group or in the subgroups. CONCLUSION The physical quality of life was significantly lower in individuals with TE compared with the general national population, while the mental aspects were not affected. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadi A Ghassemi Jahani
- Department of Orthopedics, Frölunda Speciality Hospital, Västra Frölunda, Sweden.
- Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Jon Karlsson
- Department of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Helena Brisby
- Department of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Aina J Danielsson
- Department of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
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The impact of thalidomide use in birth defects in Brazil. Eur J Med Genet 2016; 60:12-15. [PMID: 27638330 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2016.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Although the thalidomide tragedy occurred more than 50 years ago, the medication is still being used worldwide for different reasons, and several aspects regarding its teratogenicity remain unsolved. Despite the strict regulation implemented, new cases of thalidomide embryopathy (TE) are still being registered in Brazil. Furthermore, the molecular processes that lead to malformations when the embryo is exposed to thalidomide have not yet been fully identified. In this article, we perform a critical analysis of thalidomide's history in Brazil, highlighting aspects of the occurrence of TE over the decades. Finally, we present the main perspectives and challenges for ongoing surveillance and prevention of TE in Brazil. The effective control of dispensing thalidomide, especially in areas where leprosy is endemic, is one of the most important and challenging points. Furthermore, the emergence of thalidomide analogues is fast approaching, and their availability would pose additional concerns. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms and targets of thalidomide in both experimental and human models is essential for generating new insights into teratogenic mechanisms, so that safer thalidomide analogues can be developed.
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Tajima T, Wada T, Yoshizawa A, Masuda T, Okafuji T, Nakayama T, Hasuo K. Internal anomalies in thalidomide embryopathy: results of imaging screening by CT and MRI. Clin Radiol 2016; 71:1199.e1-7. [PMID: 27567725 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2016.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIM To examine the prevalence and detailed radiological findings of internal anomalies in thalidomide embryopathy (TE). MATERIALS AND METHODS Whole-body image screening for internal anomalies using unenhanced whole-body computed tomography (CT) and head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 22 patients (13 women and nine men; mean age, 49 years; range, 47-51 years) with TE. RESULTS Among the 22 patients with TE, internal anomalies were detected in 19 (86.4%): anomalies of the auditory organ in 10 (45.5%), anomalies of the vascular system in six (27.3%), agenesis of the gallbladder in six (27.3%), hypoplasia or aplasia of the 7th or 8th cranial nerves in five (22.7%), block vertebrae in five (22.7%), fusion of the left lobe and quadrate lobe of the liver in three (9.1%), and others in five (22.7%), respectively. CONCLUSION In addition to limb defects or hypoplasia, various internal anomalies can be detected at a high incidence in TE using CT and MRI. Understanding these characteristic radiological findings may help radiologists detect a wide range of radiological findings of internal anomalies associated with TE.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Tajima
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
| | - T Wada
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - A Yoshizawa
- Department of General Internal Medicine, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - T Masuda
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - T Okafuji
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - T Nakayama
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - K Hasuo
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
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Shared mechanism of teratogenicity of anti-angiogenic drugs identified in the chicken embryo model. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30038. [PMID: 27443489 PMCID: PMC4957076 DOI: 10.1038/srep30038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is essential for tumor growth, stabilization and progression. Angiogenesis inhibitors are now widely used in the clinic; however, there are relatively few published studies on the mechanism of their presumed teratogenic effects. To address this issue, we screened a variety of angiogenesis inhibitors in developing zebrafish and chicken embryo models to assess for developmental defects and potential teratogenic effects. We confirmed previous reports that sunitinib, sorafenib and TNP-470 are teratogenic and demonstrate that axitinib, pazopanib, vandetanib, and everolimus are also teratogens in these models. A dose response study identified the drugs inhibit HUVEC cell proliferation in vitro, and also target the developing blood vessels of embryos in vivo. This provides further evidence for the potential risk of fetal toxicity when using these drugs in a clinical setting, and emphasizes the importance of the development and maintenance of the vasculature in the embryo. We conclude that angiogenesis inhibitors, regardless of the molecular target, are teratogenic when exposed to chicken embryos.
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Ghassemi Jahani SA, Danielsson A, Ab-Fawaz R, Hebelka H, Danielson B, Brisby H. Degenerative Changes in the Cervical Spine Are More Common in Middle-Aged Individuals with Thalidomide Embryopathy than in Healthy Controls. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155493. [PMID: 27175919 PMCID: PMC4866686 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thalidomide was used as a sedative drug for pregnant women in the 1950–60:s and resulted in children born with thalidomide embryopathy (TE), including upper limb malformations. These may alter the motion pattern of the cervical spine by the use of head/shoulder and mouth grip. Aims To compare degenerative changes in the cervical spine in TE individuals with healthy controls (CTR). Methods and Procedures Twenty-seven middle-aged TE individuals and 27 age- and gender-matched CTR were examined by cervical spine MRI. The presence of malformations, disc herniation(s), osteophytes, nerve and medullary compression and the degree of disc degeneration (DD) were evaluated. Outcomes and Results Significantly higher degree of DD was seen in the TE group compared with the controls (p<0.001). Similar frequencies of disc herniation and disc space narrowing were observed in the two groups, but more foraminal narrowing was seen in the TE group (p = 0.002). DD was observed relatively frequently at all cervical levels in the TE group, however, mainly at the two lower levels in the CTR. Conclusions and Implications Middle-aged individuals with TE have a higher frequency of degenerative changes in the cervical spine than controls, possibly caused by an altered load on the cervical spine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadi A. Ghassemi Jahani
- Department of Orthopaedics, Kungälv Hospital, 442 41, Kungälv, Sweden
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Aina Danielsson
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rana Ab-Fawaz
- Department of Radiology, Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hanna Hebelka
- Department of Radiology, Queen Silvia Children Hospital, 413 19, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Barbro Danielson
- Department of Radiology, Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Helena Brisby
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Abstract
While rarely seen in the present-day Western world, phocomelia is not uncommon in underdeveloped countries. Phocomelia is an abnormality in which the limbs are not fully formed. It may be inherited as an autosomal recessive or dominant disorder. This case concerns a 12-year-old Afghan boy with multiple skeletal anomalies, most prominently of his right arm, including aplasia of the entire proximal humerus, hypoplasia of the clavicle and scapula, and absence of the radial ray and thumb. A hypoplastic left thumb was also present. Other anomalies included thoracic scoliosis, upper thoracic hemivertebrae, and mild cardiomegaly. The differential diagnosis and likely diagnosis are discussed.
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Takagi T, van Bennekom C, Amann S, Hattori C, Shirakuni Y, Sato T, Nasu M. [Risk Management of Teratogenic Drugs ~The Current States of Practice in Europe, US and Japan~]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2015; 135:1161-8. [PMID: 26234426 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.15-00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Thalidomide was approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma in Japan under a risk management program, named TERMS, in 2008. Since then, we have been conducting a survey of the stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of TERMS. These surveys showed patients had enough knowledge of the risks of thalidomide. In the USA, legislation in 2007 granted its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to require Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) when necessary to ensure that a drug's benefits outweigh its risks. As of 2015, more than 70 drugs, including thalidomide, have REMS programs. In Germany, in the early 1960s, over 5000 children were born with deformities. Therefore, the safety regulations in Germany go far beyond the European Medicines Agency (EMA) safety regulations at the time of thalidomide re-approval; thalidomide can be prescribed by a special prescribing form, including both proof of the patients' awareness of information about the risks, and participation in a pregnancy prevention program. While Japan has taken similar safety measures, a portion of thalidomide is still privately imported there. By March 2013, 594 patients have been registered to Japan's Safety Management System for Unapproved Drugs (SMUD), which was introduced by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in 2009. The number of females of child bearing potential (FCBPs) was 33 and the fraction (33/594=5.6%) was higher than that (48/7370=0.7%) in the case of TERMS. Risk management of thalidomide is described in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Takagi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
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26
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Kowalski TW, Sanseverino MTV, Schuler-Faccini L, Vianna FSL. Thalidomide embryopathy: Follow-up of cases born between 1959 and 2010. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 103:794-803. [PMID: 26043318 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalidomide is a known teratogen and it is estimated that more than ten thousand babies were affected by thalidomide embryopathy (TE), which is characterized mainly by limb defects, but can involve many organs and systems. Most people with TE were only evaluated at birth and it is not well established if thalidomide exposure during embryonic development leads to later effects. We analyzed the clinical history of adults with TE to better understand this gap in the clinical findings of TE. METHODS Brazilian individuals with TE were invited to answer a clinical questionnaire which considered family history, social information, medical history, and current clinical and psychological health status. A clinical examination was also performed, including on the infant subjects to evaluate congenital anomalies. The characterization of the features was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS The congenital anomalies caused by thalidomide were reviewed in 28 Brazilian individuals, and the questionnaire was applied to the 23 adult subjects with TE (aged 19 to 55). Progressive deafness and dental loss were reported. From the comparison of TE individuals with the general Brazilian population, the early onset of cardiovascular diseases (p = 0.009) and a higher frequency of psychological disorders (p = 0.011) were observed. CONCLUSION Although there is no sufficient evidence that thalidomide exposure caused or worsened the described events, this approach helps to better understand the TE phenotype, improves the clinical diagnosis, and can lead to adequate health support for these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayne Woycinck Kowalski
- PPGBM (Programa de Pós Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Population Medical Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa Vieira Sanseverino
- PPGBM (Programa de Pós Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Population Medical Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lavinia Schuler-Faccini
- PPGBM (Programa de Pós Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Population Medical Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- PPGBM (Programa de Pós Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Population Medical Genetics, INAGEMP, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Programa de Pós Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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27
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Vargesson N. Thalidomide-induced teratogenesis: history and mechanisms. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 105:140-56. [PMID: 26043938 PMCID: PMC4737249 DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 469] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Nearly 60 years ago thalidomide was prescribed to treat morning sickness in pregnant women. What followed was the biggest man‐made medical disaster ever, where over 10,000 children were born with a range of severe and debilitating malformations. Despite this, the drug is now used successfully to treat a range of adult conditions, including multiple myeloma and complications of leprosy. Tragically, a new generation of thalidomide damaged children has been identified in Brazil. Yet, how thalidomide caused its devastating effects in the forming embryo remains unclear. However, studies in the past few years have greatly enhanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms the drug. This review will look at the history of the drug, and the range and type of damage the drug caused, and outline the mechanisms of action the drug uses including recent molecular advances and new findings. Some of the remaining challenges facing thalidomide biologists are also discussed. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 105:140–156, 2015. © 2015 The Authors Birth Defects Research Part C: Embryo Today: Reviews Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Vargesson
- School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
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28
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Shiga T, Shimbo T, Yoshizawa A. Multicenter investigation of lifestyle-related diseases and visceral disorders in thalidomide embryopathy at around 50 years of age. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 103:787-93. [PMID: 26033770 PMCID: PMC5157726 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Revised: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background In utero exposure to thalidomide causes a wide range of birth defects, including phocomelia, hearing loss and visceral disorders, known as thalidomide embryopathy (TE). Fifty years after the first report of TE, we conducted the first cross‐sectional multicenter study to investigate the development of lifestyle‐related diseases and identify risk factors for visceral disorders in subjects with TE. Methods Seventy‐six cases with TE (31 men, 45 women) underwent medical examinations between 2011 and 2014 to determine the types of TE‐related anomalies (limbs, auditory organs, or visceral organs) and lifestyle‐related diseases present. Logistic multiple regression analyses, adjusted for gender and age, were conducted between TE and lifestyle‐related diseases and to evaluate association between block vertebra and gallbladder aplasia. Results Fatty liver (FL), nonalcoholic FL disease and dyslipidemia were detected in 52.6%, 35.0%, and 23.7% of subjects, respectively, with higher incidences among men. Dyslipidemia was detected in 40.0% of subjects with FL and was significantly associated with FL (odds ratio = 8.86; p = 0.008). Block vertebrae were detected in 44.4% of subjects with gallbladder aplasia, and this association was significant (odds ratio = 9.96; p = 0.006). Conclusion Subjects with TE have also a risk for lifestyle‐related disease as well as the general Japanese population. In addition, cervical spine radiography and magnetic resonance imaging are recommended to assess block vertebrae in subjects with TE with gallbladder aplasia who develop shoulder pain. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:787–793, 2015. © 2015 The Authors Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Shiga
- Division of Medical Check-up, Department of General Medicine, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuro Shimbo
- Department of Clinical Study and Informatics Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsuto Yoshizawa
- General Internal Medicine, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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29
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Sales Luiz Vianna F, de Oliveira MZ, Sanseverino MTV, Morelo EF, de Lyra Rabello Neto D, Lopez-Camelo J, Camey SA, Schuler-Faccini L. Pharmacoepidemiology and thalidomide embryopathy surveillance in Brazil. Reprod Toxicol 2015; 53:63-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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30
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Paumgartten FJR, de Souza NR. Clinical use and control of the dispensing of thalidomide in Brasilia-Federal District, Brazil, from 2001 to 2012. CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2014; 18:3401-8. [PMID: 24196904 DOI: 10.1590/s1413-81232013001100029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of thalidomide was never discontinued in Brazil where it is prescribed for leprosy type 2 reaction. Babies with birth defects compatible with the thalidomide embryopathy phenotype were born after 1965, an indication that control on drug dispensing and use failed in the country. The article reports data on thalidomide dispensing and clinical uses in the Federal District in 2011/12, when new rules were put into effect, and data on drug dispensing and use obtained ten years earlier. It was found that the number of patients making use of thalidomide declined from 819 in 2001 to 369 in 2011/12. Leprosy accounted for over 70% of prescriptions in both time periods analyzed in this study. In the same time interval, however, use for lupus erythematosus decreased from 13.7 to 4.9%, while that for multiple myeloma increased from 2.9 to 20.3% of all prescriptions. Thalidomide prescription for the remaining approved indications was far less frequent, and so was the use for off label indications that accounted for <1% of prescriptions in 2001 and 2011/12. Registration of prescribing doctors, patients and dispensing units at the state department of health, apparently rendered this control more effective and reliable.
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31
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Ghassemi Jahani SA, Danielson B, Karlsson J, Danielsson AJ. Long-term follow-up of thalidomide embryopathy: malformations and development of osteoarthritis in the lower extremities and evaluation of upper extremity function. J Child Orthop 2014; 8:423-33. [PMID: 25301261 PMCID: PMC4391049 DOI: 10.1007/s11832-014-0609-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Between 1959 and 1962, several children with multiple malformations were born after maternal intake of thalidomide during pregnancy, known as thalidomide embryopathy (TE). OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the malformations, their long-term effect on the function of the extremities and the development of degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) in the lower extremities. METHODS All living persons with TE in Sweden were invited to participate in the study. Thirty-one patients were examined clinically as a part of a multi-disciplinary follow-up programme. Evaluation of upper and lower limb function was performed by validated questionnaires [Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Rheumatoid and Arthritis Outcome Score (RAOS), respectively] and radiographic appearance of lower limbs by the use of spiral computed tomography. RESULTS Five individuals had severe malformations of the lower limbs and proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), with significantly reduced function as found on the RAOS values. Twenty-seven patients had two fully functional arms and hands, despite the fact that 8% of shoulders, 26% of elbows/forearms and 70% of hands were malformed. Loss of gripping function did not significantly affect the upper extremity function, as measured by the DASH score. Ten patients without major deformities had OA in the hips and 15 in the knees, mostly mild and with no effect on the RAOS value. CONCLUSION A wide variety of malformations in the upper and lower limbs was found in the study group. Degenerative changes were found in the hips and the knees but were mostly mild and without major clinical significance. Despite upper limb anomalies that affected the fine motor skills, upper extremity function was not significantly reduced for most individuals. Individuals with PFFD along with major deformities of upper limbs had a reduced function of upper as well as lower limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadi A. Ghassemi Jahani
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden ,Department of Orthopaedics, Kungälv Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Barbro Danielson
- Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jón Karlsson
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Aina J. Danielsson
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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32
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Poletta F, Gili J, Castilla E. Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC): A Model for Health Collaborative Studies. Public Health Genomics 2014; 17:61-7. [DOI: 10.1159/000356568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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33
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Soares LM, Macedo JO, de Azevedo EC, Santos CS, Sampaio MDQ, Santos ACD, Reis MGD, Athanazio DA. Immunomodulatory treatment with thalidomide in experimental leptospirosis in Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2013; 108:105-11. [DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trt112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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34
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Abstract
Thalidomide remains one of the world’s most notorious drugs due to the severe birth defects it induced in children between 1957 and 1962. Yet, to some this drug is a lifesaver, as it now enjoys renaissance in the treatment for a wide range of conditions including leprosy, multiple myeloma, Behcet’s disease, and some cancers. However, thalidomide has also been linked to causing a new generation of thalidomide survivors in Brazil, where the drug is used to treat leprosy. Surprisingly how thalidomide causes birth defects and how it acts in the treatment of clinical conditions are still far from clear. In the past decade great strides in our understanding of the actions of the drug, as well as molecular targets, have been made. The purpose of this review is to look at the recent work carried out into understanding how thalidomide causes birth defects, it’s molecular targets and the challenges that remain to be elucidated. These challenges include identifying clinically relevant but nonteratogenic forms of the drug, and the mechanisms underlying phocomelia and species specificity.
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35
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Mullerian agenesis associated with in-utero thalidomide exposure: A case report. MIDDLE EAST FERTILITY SOCIETY JOURNAL 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mefs.2013.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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36
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Pomalidomide is nonteratogenic in chicken and zebrafish embryos and nonneurotoxic in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:12703-8. [PMID: 23858438 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307684110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide and its analog, Lenalidomide, are in current use clinically for treatment of multiple myeloma, complications of leprosy and cancers. An additional analog, Pomalidomide, has recently been licensed for treatment of multiple myeloma, and is purported to be clinically more potent than either Thalidomide or Lenalidomide. Using a combination of zebrafish and chicken embryos together with in vitro assays we have determined the relative anti-inflammatory activity of each compound. We demonstrate that in vivo embryonic assays Pomalidomide is a significantly more potent anti-inflammatory agent than either Thalidomide or Lenalidomide. We tested the effect of Pomalidomide and Lenalidomide on angiogenesis, teratogenesis, and neurite outgrowth, known detrimental effects of Thalidomide. We found that Pomalidomide, displays a high degree of cell specificity, and has no detectable teratogenic, antiangiogenic or neurotoxic effects at potent anti-inflammatory concentrations. This is in marked contrast to Thalidomide and Lenalidomide, which had detrimental effects on blood vessels, nerves, and embryonic development at anti-inflammatory concentrations. This work has implications for Pomalidomide as a treatment for conditions Thalidomide and Lenalidomide treat currently.
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37
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Jankelowitz SK, Spies JM, Burke D. Late-onset neurological symptoms in thalidomide-exposed subjects: a study of an Australasian cohort. Eur J Neurol 2012; 20:509-514. [PMID: 23078293 DOI: 10.1111/ene.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Thalidomide was marketed for the treatment of morning sickness and resulted in foetal death and physical deformities. The exact mechanism of action of thalidomide in its teratogenicity is still actively debated in the literature. METHODS This study reviewed 16 of the confirmed Australasian victims of in utero exposure to thalidomide who now presented with new-onset neurological symptoms in the fourth and fifth decades. RESULTS Clinical neurological examination and neurophysiological investigations revealed that new symptoms were due in part to compressive neuropathies, often exacerbated by the adaptations made to accommodate the disability and poor mobility arising from the limb deformities. Other subjects were found to have musculoskeletal symptoms due to compensatory postures employed to perform tasks of daily living. CONCLUSIONS The study provides no evidence of ongoing loss of neurons or late reactivated neural degeneration and no evidence of a generalized peripheral neuropathy. Rather, the development of new symptoms in subjects can be explained by compressive neuropathies and compensatory postures employed to perform tasks of daily living.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Jankelowitz
- Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.,Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - J M Spies
- Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.,Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - D Burke
- Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.,Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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38
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Abstract
Thalidomide was originally developed in 1954 as a sedative that was commonly used to ameliorate morning sickness. However, thalidomide exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy caused multiple birth defects (e.g. phocomelia and amelia), affecting ≈ 10,000 children worldwide in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Thalidomide is now recognized as a clinically effective, albeit strictly restricted, drug for the treatment of leprosy and multiple myeloma. Investigators have studied thalidomide teratogenicity for half a century, proposing over 30 hypotheses to account for its actions. Among these, the anti-angiogenesis and oxidative stress models have gained widespread support. Nonetheless, the precise molecular mechanisms and direct targets of thalidomide have not heretofore been elucidated. We developed ferrite-glycidyl methacrylate beads that enable magnetic separation and efficient purification of ligand-binding molecules; the beads were recently employed to identify cereblon as a primary target of thalidomide. Cereblon forms an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex with DDB1, Cul4A, and Roc1, which is important for the expression of fibroblast growth factor 8, an essential regulator of limb development. Expression of a drug binding-deficient mutant of cereblon suppressed thalidomide-induced effects in zebrafish and chicks. This suggests that thalidomide downregulates fibroblast growth factor 8 expression and induces limb malformation by binding to wild-type cereblon, inhibiting the function of the associated E3 ubiquitin ligase. The present review summarizes the teratogenicity of thalidomide, including existing models for its mode of action, and discusses the identification of cereblon as a key molecule for deciphering the longstanding mystery of thalidomide teratogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Ito
- Solutions Research Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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39
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Spezielle Arzneimitteltherapie in der Schwangerschaft. ARZNEIMITTEL IN SCHWANGERSCHAFT UND STILLZEIT 2012. [PMCID: PMC7271212 DOI: 10.1016/b978-3-437-21203-1.10002-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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40
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Bermejo-Sánchez E, Cuevas L, Amar E, Bianca S, Bianchi F, Botto LD, Canfield MA, Castilla EE, Clementi M, Cocchi G, Landau D, Leoncini E, Li Z, Lowry RB, Mastroiacovo P, Mutchinick OM, Rissmann A, Ritvanen A, Scarano G, Siffel C, Szabova E, Martínez-Frías ML. Phocomelia: a worldwide descriptive epidemiologic study in a large series of cases from the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, and overview of the literature. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2011; 157C:305-20. [PMID: 22002800 PMCID: PMC4427055 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.30320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiologic data on phocomelia are scarce. This study presents an epidemiologic analysis of the largest series of phocomelia cases known to date. Data were provided by 19 birth defect surveillance programs, all members of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research. Depending on the program, data corresponded to a period from 1968 through 2006. A total of 22,740,933 live births, stillbirths and, for some programs, elective terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (ETOPFA) were monitored. After a detailed review of clinical data, only true phocomelia cases were included. Descriptive data are presented and additional analyses compared isolated cases with those with multiple congenital anomalies (MCA), excluding syndromes. We also briefly compared congenital anomalies associated with nonsyndromic phocomelia with those presented with amelia, another rare severe congenital limb defect. A total of 141 phocomelia cases registered gave an overall total prevalence of 0.62 per 100,000 births (95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.73). Three programs (Australia Victoria, South America ECLAMC, Italy North East) had significantly different prevalence estimates. Most cases (53.2%) had isolated phocomelia, while 9.9% had syndromes. Most nonsyndromic cases were monomelic (55.9%), with an excess of left (64.9%) and upper limb (64.9%) involvement. Most nonsyndromic cases (66.9%) were live births; most isolated cases (57.9%) weighed more than 2,499 g; most MCA (60.7%) weighed less than 2,500 g, and were more likely stillbirths (30.8%) or ETOPFA (15.4%) than isolated cases. The most common associated defects were musculoskeletal, cardiac, and intestinal. Epidemiological differences between phocomelia and amelia highlighted possible differences in their causes.
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Vianna FSL, Lopez-Camelo JS, Leite JCL, Sanseverino MTV, Dutra MDG, Castilla EE, Schüler-Faccini L. Epidemiological surveillance of birth defects compatible with thalidomide embryopathy in Brazil. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21735. [PMID: 21754997 PMCID: PMC3130769 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2011] [Accepted: 06/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalidomide tragedy of the 1960s resulted in thousands of children being born with severe limb reduction defects (LRD), among other malformations. In Brazil, there are still babies born with thalidomide embryopathy (TE) because of leprosy prevalence, availability of thalidomide, and deficiencies in the control of drug dispensation. Our objective was to implement a system of proactive surveillance to identify birth defects compatible with TE. Along one year, newborns with LRD were assessed in the Brazilian hospitals participating in the Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC). A phenotype of LRD called thalidomide embryopathy phenotype (TEP) was established for surveillance. Children with TEP born between the years 2000–2008 were monitored, and during the 2007–2008 period we clinically investigated in greater detail all cases with TEP (proactive period). The period from 1982 to 1999 was defined as the baseline period for the cumulative sum statistics. The frequency of TEP during the surveillance period, at 3.10/10,000 births (CI 95%: 2.50–3.70), was significantly higher than that observed in the baseline period (1.92/10,000 births; CI 95%: 1.60–2.20), and not uniformly distributed across different Brazilian regions. During the proactive surveillance (2007–2008), two cases of suspected TE were identified, although the two mothers had denied the use of the drug during pregnancy. Our results suggest that TEP has probably increased in recent years, which coincides with the period of greater thalidomide availability. Our proactive surveillance identified two newborns with suspected TE, proving to be a sensitive tool to detect TE. The high frequency of leprosy and the large use of thalidomide reinforce the need for a continuous monitoring of TEP across Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- INAGEMP (Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional) at Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- INAGEMP at Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jorge S. Lopez-Camelo
- INAGEMP at ECLAMC (Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations) in IMBICE: Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologia Celular, La Plata, Argentina
- INAGEMP at ECLAMC in CEMIC: Centro de Educación Médica e Investigación Clínica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Júlio César Louguercio Leite
- INAGEMP (Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional) at Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa Vieira Sanseverino
- INAGEMP (Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional) at Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria da Graça Dutra
- INAGEMP at ECLAMC in Laboratório de Epidemiologia de Malformações Congênitas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eduardo E. Castilla
- INAGEMP at ECLAMC in CEMIC: Centro de Educación Médica e Investigación Clínica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- INAGEMP at ECLAMC in Laboratório de Epidemiologia de Malformações Congênitas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lavínia Schüler-Faccini
- INAGEMP (Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional) at Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- INAGEMP at Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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42
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Ito T, Ando H, Handa H. Teratogenic effects of thalidomide: molecular mechanisms. Cell Mol Life Sci 2011; 68:1569-79. [PMID: 21207098 PMCID: PMC11114848 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-010-0619-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2010] [Revised: 12/01/2010] [Accepted: 12/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Fifty years ago, prescription of the sedative thalidomide caused a worldwide epidemic of multiple birth defects. The drug is now used in the treatment of leprosy and multiple myeloma. However, its use is limited due to its potent teratogenic activity. The mechanism by which thalidomide causes limb malformations and other developmental defects is a long-standing question. Multiple hypotheses exist to explain the molecular mechanism of thalidomide action. Among them, theories involving oxidative stress and anti-angiogenesis have been widely supported. Nevertheless, until recently, the direct target of thalidomide remained elusive. We identified a thalidomide-binding protein, cereblon (CRBN), as a primary target for thalidomide teratogenicity. Our data suggest that thalidomide initiates its teratogenic effects by binding to CRBN and inhibiting its ubiquitin ligase activity. In this review, we summarize the biology of thalidomide, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of its teratogenic effects. In addition, we discuss the questions still to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Ito
- Solutions Research Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuda-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan.
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Kim JH, Scialli AR. Thalidomide: the tragedy of birth defects and the effective treatment of disease. Toxicol Sci 2011; 122:1-6. [PMID: 21507989 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 250] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide was a widely used drug in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the treatment of nausea in pregnant women. It became apparent in the 1960s that thalidomide treatment resulted in severe birth defects in thousands of children. Though the use of thalidomide was banned in most countries at that time, thalidomide proved to be a useful treatment for leprosy and later, multiple myeloma. In rural areas of the world that lack extensive medical surveillance initiatives, thalidomide treatment of pregnant women with leprosy has continued to cause malformations. Research on thalidomide mechanisms of action is leading to a better understanding of molecular targets. With an improved understanding of these molecular targets, safer drugs may be designed. The thalidomide tragedy marked a turning point in toxicity testing, as it prompted United States and international regulatory agencies to develop systematic toxicity testing protocols; the use of thalidomide as a tool in developmental biology led to important discoveries in the biochemical pathways of limb development. In celebration of the Society of Toxicology's 50th Anniversary, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of thalidomide from the market, it is appropriate to revisit the lessons learned from the thalidomide tragedy of the 1960s.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Kim
- ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, Washington, DC 20005, USA.
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Lee CJJ, Gonçalves LL, Wells PG. Resistance of CD-1 and ogg1 DNA Repair–Deficient Mice to Thalidomide and Hydrolysis Product Embryopathies in Embryo Culture. Toxicol Sci 2011; 122:146-56. [DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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45
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Lee CJJ, Shibata N, Wiley MJ, Wells PG. Fluorothalidomide: a characterization of maternal and developmental toxicity in rabbits and mice. Toxicol Sci 2011; 122:157-69. [PMID: 21505091 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The expanding therapeutic uses of thalidomide (TD) are limited by its teratogenic side effects. Although the therapeutic and teratogenic effects may be stereoselectively separable, rapid in vivo racemization of the TD isomers confounds the corroboration of this distinction. Herein we evaluated the potential of fluorothalidomide (FTD), the closest structural analog of TD with stable, nonracemizing isomers, as a model compound for studying stereoselectivity in TD teratogenesis. In contrast to TD, FTD was a potent maternal and fetal toxicant in both rabbits and mice in vivo. Furthermore, FTD rapidly degraded in vivo, presumably via hydrolysis, which in vitro was up to 22-fold faster for FTD than TD. Most critically, in an established rabbit embryo culture model for TD teratogenesis, FTD did not initiate the limb bud embryopathies observed with TD. The chemical instability and strikingly different maternal and developmental toxicological profiles of FTD and TD make FTD an unsuitable compound for studying stereoselective mechanisms of TD teratogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal J J Lee
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Lee CJJ, Gonçalves LL, Wells PG. Embryopathic effects of thalidomide and its hydrolysis products in rabbit embryo culture: evidence for a prostaglandin H synthase (PHS)-dependent, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated mechanism. FASEB J 2011; 25:2468-83. [PMID: 21502285 DOI: 10.1096/fj.10-178814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Thalidomide (TD) causes birth defects in humans and rabbits via several potential mechanisms, including bioactivation by embryonic prostaglandin H synthase (PHS) enzymes to a reactive intermediate that enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. We show herein that TD in rabbit embryo culture produces relevant embryopathies, including decreases in head/brain development by 28% and limb bud growth by 71% (P<0.05). Two TD hydrolysis products, 2-phthalimidoglutaramic acid (PGMA) and 2-phthalimidoglutaric acid (PGA), were similarly embryopathic, attenuating otic vesicle (ear) and limb bud formation by up to 36 and 77%, respectively (P<0.05). TD, PGMA, and PGA all increased embryonic DNA oxidation measured as 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) by up to 2-fold (P<0.05). Co- or pretreatment with the PHS inhibitors eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA) or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), or the free-radical spin trap phenylbutylnitrone (PBN), completely blocked embryonic 8-oxoG formation and/or embryopathies initiated by TD, PGMA, and PGA. This is the first demonstration of limb bud embryopathies initiated by TD, as well as its hydrolysis products, in a mammalian embryo culture model of a species susceptible to TD in vivo, indicating that all likely contribute to TD teratogenicity in vivo, in part through PHS-dependent, ROS-mediated mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal J J Lee
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Despite the recent discovery that thalidomide causes limb defects by targeting highly angiogenic, immature blood vessels, several challenges still remain and new ones have arisen. These include understanding the drug's species specificity, determining molecular target(s) in the endothelial cell, shedding light on the molecular basis of phocomelia and producing a form of the drug that is clinically effective without having side effects. Now that the trigger of thalidomide-induced teratogenesis has been uncovered, a framework is proposed, incorporating and uniting previous models of thalidomide action, explaining how thalidomide causes not just limb defects, but also all the other defects it induces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Vargesson
- School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK.
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48
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Thalidomide induces limb defects by preventing angiogenic outgrowth during early limb formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:8573-8. [PMID: 19433787 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0901505106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide is a potent teratogen that induces a range of birth defects, most commonly of the developing limbs. The mechanisms underpinning the teratogenic effects of thalidomide are unclear. Here we demonstrate that loss of immature blood vessels is the primary cause of thalidomide-induced teratogenesis and provide an explanation for its action at the cell biological level. Antiangiogenic but not antiinflammatory metabolites/analogues of thalidomide induce chick limb defects. Both in vitro and in vivo, outgrowth and remodeling of more mature blood vessels is blocked temporarily, whereas newly formed, rapidly developing, angiogenic vessels are lost. Such vessel loss occurs upstream of changes in limb morphogenesis and gene expression and, depending on the timing of drug application, results in either embryonic death or developmental defects. These results explain both the timing and relative tissue specificity of thalidomide embryopathy and have significant implications for its use as a therapeutic agent.
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Ekfeldt A, Carlsson GE. Dental status and oral function in an adult group of subjects with thalidomide embryopathy - a clinical and questionnaire study. Acta Odontol Scand 2008; 66:300-6. [PMID: 18720052 DOI: 10.1080/00016350802307638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to present the results of an oral examination of individuals with thalidomide embryopathy in relation to dental conditions and functional aspects of the masticatory system, with a special focus on tooth wear. MATERIAL AND METHODS All 108 subjects with thalidomide embryopathy living in Sweden were invited to participate in a comprehensive investigation, and approximately one-third, 31 subjects (13 F and 18 M, aged 45-49 years), took part. The methods included a questionnaire and clinical and radiographic examinations. RESULTS Most of the subjects had regular dental care, which they in general considered sufficient. All except one always brushed their teeth themselves. One subject had limited mouth opening (25 mm). There were no great deviations from normal anatomy and function of the masticatory system. Caries and periodontal conditions were also normal. Regurgitation was reported by 42% of the subjects. Tooth wear was more extensive than in comparable age groups. About a third of the subjects had Class III or edge-to-edge occlusion. CONCLUSIONS In general, subjects with thalidomide embryopathy had no great deviations in dental conditions from people of the same age in the general population except for an increased rate of tooth wear and a higher prevalence of prenormal jaw relations. Tooth wear was related less to use of the teeth as tools and more to dental erosion associated, among other things, with a high rate of regurgitation.
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50
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Current awareness: Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2008. [DOI: 10.1002/pds.1486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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