The anti-emetic drug thalidomide is infamous for its teratogenic effects, which led to limb defects in more than 80% of children exposed in utero. However, thalidomide still has potentially positive value as an anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic compound for patients with some infectious diseases and cancer. Therapontos et al. show that the sensitivity of developing limbs to thalidomide-induced defects is dependent on the timing and type of blood vessel development. By examining the limb buds of chick embryos, they demonstrate that areas with rapid growth of immature blood vessels, such as the limb buds, are most susceptible to the anti-angiogenic effects of thalidomide, whereas mature vessels remain largely unaffected. The authors suggest that, since the effects of thalidomide vary depending on blood vessel maturity, this once-controversial compound may have therapeutic potential for preventing cancer-related angiogenesis.
Therapontos C, Erskine L, Gardner ER, Figg WD, Vargesson N. (2009). Thalidomide induces limb defects by preventing angiogenic outgrowth during early limb formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106, 8573– 8578.
