What is the mechanism of action of immunomodulators?
Pleiotropic mechanism of action of immunomodulatory drugs. IMiDs increase T-cell activation and T-cell clonal proliferation by costimulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by CD28 phosphorylation. They exert direct cytotoxicity via induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell adhesion molecules.
How did thalidomide cause birth defects?
Led by a team of authors, the study found that thalidomide actively degrades several C 2H 2 zinc finger transcription factors, including a cell protein known as SALL4. Without SALL4, cells are unable to fully develop which inhibits a foetus’s ability to grow limbs and other important organs.
What is the classification of thalidomide?
Thalidomide is in a class of medications called immunomodulatory agents. It treats multiple myeloma by strengthening the immune system to fight cancer cells.
What was thalidomide used for originally?
In the 1950s and 1960s, thalidomide was used to treat morning sickness during pregnancy. But it was found to cause disabilities in the babies born to those taking the drug. Now, decades later, thalidomide (Thalomid) is being used to treat a skin condition and cancer.
What was thalidomide tested on?
Thalidomide is a sedative drug introduced to European markets on 1 October 1957 after claims of extensive testing on rodent embryos to ensure its safety.
Is thalidomide an immunomodulator?
Thalidomide and its analogues have been shown to have pleotropic immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenesis effects.
Is thalidomide an IMiD?
The IMiD class includes thalidomide and its analogues (lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and iberdomide. These drugs may also be referred to as ‘Cereblon modulators’. Cereblon (CRBN) is the protein targeted by this class of drugs.
What are the effects of thalidomide?
Thalidomide can cause severe, life-threatening birth defects or death of a baby if the mother or the father is taking this medicine at the time of conception or during pregnancy. Even one dose of thalidomide can cause major birth defects of the baby’s arms and legs, bones, ears, eyes, face, and heart.
What are the functional groups of thalidomide?
- Alpha amino acids and derivatives.
- Isoindoles.
- Piperidinediones.
- Delta lactams.
- N-substituted carboxylic acid imides.
- Benzenoids.
- N-unsubstituted carboxylic acid imides.
- Dicarboximides.