Researchers Gain New Insights into the Mystery of Thalidomide-Caused Birth Defects: Scientific American

Researchers Gain New Insights into the Mystery of Thalidomide-Caused Birth Defects: Scientific American: Study says thalidomide applications may cause "pectoral fin malformations in zebra fish and the complete absence of forelimbs in chicks. The researchers concluded that thalidomide exerts these effects by inhibiting cereblon function, because genetically induced overproduction of cereblon prevented the malformations. Cereblon's normal function is unknown, but mutations in the gene encoding it are implicated in mild mental retardation."