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Thalidimide

On this date, 50 years ago today, October 1, 1957, the drug thalidomide was first marketed in West Germany and shortly thereafter sold in at least 51 other countries. Unfortunately, due to inadequate animal model testing prior to approval for human use, this medication has had a profound and horrendous impact on the lives of thousands, and is a valuable lesson in the neuroscience and endocrine communities as well as the whole of science.

This chemical was first synthesized in 1953 as a sedative and it seemed a "wonder drug" for pregnant women to combat symptoms associated with morning sickness. Unfortunately, much, much too late it was found that the particular molecular shape of this compound allowed it to easily move across the placental wall, affecting the growth and development of the the baby in utero. Worldwide, over 10,000 individuals were born by the early 1960's with astronomical birth defects, including deafness, blindness, internal disabilities, cleft palate, deformed or even missing limbs. Survivors, now middle-aged adults, have continuing health problems. The problem lies in this drugs ability to sedate or halt the normal progression of cell division that is so vitally rapid during gestation. The effect often lead to miscarriages and still births, but when the infant survived, the effects appeared most often scattered in a particular cell lineage. The endocrin effects that this drug identified as being critical for development in utero were initially thought to be virtually unique to this drug. However, in the last 10-15 years, an entire class of compounds, called "endocrine disruptors" have begun to be identified in chemicals in manufacture and in the wastes from their manufacture. One may have hoped that by now, this problem would have opened the collective eyes of our society towards the dangers of dumping chemical waste into the environment, but it has not... not because scientists have not warned about this issue for decades... but because the vast majority of people do not give a damn about science and do not heed what scientists have to say.

People do not want to see the connection between one particular drug and the problems that arise from our polluting of the planet.... both occur when people do not listen to and almost hate and fear scientists.

Yet, the drug thalidomide now has some beneficial uses... discovered by research scientists in universities across the nation. Thalidomide has now been approved in the treatment of leprosy and other potential benefits of thalidomide are vast, and several experts expect doctors to quickly begin prescribing it for "off-label" uses. In recent years, thalidomide has been experiencing a revival of sorts, and scientists are experimenting with it for maladies as diverse as AIDS, brain cancer, lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Advocates for people with these conditions have been urging the agency to make it available.

So, what can we learn from the above? Namely... science and scientific discovery are VITALLY important to our society. Scientists need more, better funding, and need better respect in our nation. People need to quit blindly accepting facetious and idiotic arguments from nonsense groups like PETA and those of similar ilk... they are basically composed of anti-science bigots. Scientists need to be given a greater voice in public policy and they should be revered as tremendously important figures... not the crazy, wild-haired buffoons of most television portrayals.

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