Thalidomide - Periodic Table of Videos

An old friend returns in this video about making Thalidomide. Here's the full interview with Edoardo: • EXTRA: Interview with ... - More links and info in full description ↓↓↓
Featuring Martyn Poliakoff, Miriam O'Duill & Edoardo Bandieri (in Italy)
The Chem Spider article by Emanuel Bruno Savini & Edoardo Bandieri - cssp.chemspider.com/Article.a...
A special visitor to Nottingham (Adele Rouse) as featured on BBC East Midlands Today - • Special Visitor to Per...
From the School of Chemistry at The University of Nottingham: bit.ly/NottChem
Videos on all 118 elements: bit.ly/118elements
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More chemistry at www.periodicvideos.com/
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And on Twitter at / periodicvideos
This episode was also generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Periodic Videos films are by video journalist Brady Haran: www.bradyharan.com/
Brady's Blog: www.bradyharanblog.com
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[@nielskersic328]

I hope everyone on the Periodic Videos team, but also Numberphile, Computerphile, etc. realize how big of an influence they are for the next generations of scientists

[@johnmneu]

This also has a downside. As they say, two sides to every coin or thalidomide in this case.

[@maxsenthil]

Forgot Sciencephile.

[@AnirudhTammireddy]

don't forget PBS channels too!

[@kenosisaeternumprj]

Indeed ❤

[@JustAnInnocentLamb]

True because I wanna be a chemist so i watch these

[@reefjames6302]

My dad is a thalidomide baby. We are from Australia, he is 62 years old and his mum, my nan took thalidomide for its antiemetic properties and dad was born with two heavily disfigured arms. One of dads arms is extremely small and mostly useless, and the other is about 1/3 the length of a normal arm, but just completely different. He doesn't have a normal hand, and has very limited dexterity. His longer arm is curved, and when he was born is was bent backwards. He went under years of surgery and rehabilitation as a kid. They corrected his arm, so it is forward facing and useful. As he is getting older now, and has very short arms he has to do a lot of bending, and that is catching up to him and he is getting more aches and pains in his back and other parts. His arm is always and has always been painful. Dads whole life has hadn't met any other thalidomide victims until the past 5 or so years they have all been put in contact due to an ongoing lawsuit. There are ~30 thalidomide survivors in Australia, and they meet up every couple of years. Dad has become good friends with a handful, and acts as a bit of a mental health ambassador for them, as mental health has been a big issue with some, due to their physical issues.

[@geertjalink]

It's a German invention and was used in my country until the 1980s 😢 It's one of the isomers. So i still see disfigured people a lot.

[@HRM.H]

Must be a amazing feeling seeing your students grow up and make discoveries of their own.

[@IzzyIkigai]

"Nothing to do with spiders, so don't be frightened" - What a treasure this man is.

[@ryanjohnson4565]

I was so close to being terrified. And then he comforted me at the last second.

[@EebstertheGreat]

Thalidomide is actually quite useful, not just for treating leprosy but for several cancers. It's on the WHO List of Essential Medicines. It just can't be given to pregnant women anymore due to the huge risk of severe birth defects. It also is no longer given for insomnia or anxiety like it used to, due to some other small but significant side effects.

[@geertjalink]

In my country they gave it to pregnant women until the 1980s unfortunately.

[@GolgelerinSanati]

it’s so cool to grow up in this community! I used to be a high schooler watching these videos for fun, now i’m a career biochemist!

[@AdamBechtol]

:)

[@pibyte]

This channel is one of the best things ever.

[@piad2102]

When my mother was pregnant with me, in 1960, she was offered Thalidomide for stomachpains. She refused, without knowing what it did, and i was lucky. Many others whos mothers got Thalidomide was not.

[@skydivertyler]

It’s so cool seeing someone so passionate from a young age transform into a person that does it. Way to go Edoardo!

[@thepeff]

This was the FDA’s claim to fame here in the States. The FDA had recently been commissioned and they hadn’t approved Thalidomide by the time its effects were coming to light

[@xyzpdq1122]

The FDA repeatedly rejected thalidomide because the company’s tests were inconclusive or shoddily prepared. The head of the FDA at that time insisted on better, more independent testing. The thalidomide tragedy was also the impetus for testing new drugs on pregnant women (or, more likely, primates). Before then, it was thought that drugs couldn’t pass the placental barrier.

[@Terri_MacKay]

I thought that the American women who were given thalidomide were living with their husbands on American military bases in Germany, where the drug had been approved. I must have read this at some point, because it's a fact I've carried around in my head for years.

[@DasGanon]

​@@Terri_MacKayI'm lucky in that case, as my dad would have been one of the victims. (Grandpa was stationed overseas in Germany)

[@mikeholmstrom1899]

The FDA slipped up on Diethylstilbestrol (DES), though.

[@foxphire0093]

I discovered this channel back in 2012 when I was 12 and it inspired me to pursue chemistry more since it was the most acessable science to me in my school at the time. I ended up taking AP Chemistry and it led me to taking physics in highschool since I didn't want to pursue the Biology track. I took physics and ended up pursuing Electrical Engineering in college and it let to where I am as an Engineer in the US Space Force. Sufice it to say, this scratched the itch of curiosity and made chemistry accessible to me at that young age and I want to say thank you for inspiring me and my cohort of my generation to being the next generation of scientists, and engineers.

[@darthrainbows]

That must be incredible to see the influence you've had on an entire generation, both for the scientists and educators on screen and Brady and his team behind the camera.

[@leppeppel]

FWIW, these channels don't just inspire STEM students. I got my degree in engineering, but I'm also a professional author on the side, and Periodic Videos, Numberphile, Objectivity, etc. have contributed to several of my stories.

[@AAAnjOOO]

This video warms my heart! I'm nearing the end of my PhD studies and I owe a lot to Prof Poliakoff and PeriodicVideos. You really helped me discover my passion for chemistry and research!

[@RuggeroRollini]

WOW! I just discovered that Edoardo cited the podcast I made with my colleagues in this video. It is an honour. Thanks!

[@adamplace1414]

What a wonderful kick of joy to start my day. Get your kids excited about learning - as excited as everyone in this video is - because it'll serve them well for their whole lives. Way to go Eduardo, your passion made my day!

[@KaushikAdhikari]

6:46 it's always been taught before discussing stereochem and to stress how different enantiomers can be

[@pattheplanter]

As smell is easily associated with memories, I hope the essential oil components like citronellal, carvone and linalool are used to demonstrate how enantiomers can smell completely different.

[@jonahrohlfing5715]

Yep, I used it as my main example of why stereoselectivity is important in my undergrad thesis

[@Llanovanya85]

Lenalidomide is structural similar to thalidomide and is used in treatment of myeloma. It needs a special prescription and suppression of fertility during and 6 month after use as it can have the same side effects as thalodomide

[@siyuanng8348]

thalidomide is still widely used for myeloma (type of blood cancer) in developing countries. it is also used as an agent for anaemia for patients with myelofibrosis.

[@waterunderthebridge7950]

Not only in developing countries, because of drug approval issues it’s still among the only first-line treatments in a number of places. There’s also pomalidomide while we’re at it

[@Khalrua]

I'm a pharmacist, very interesting stuff! We actually have cancer patients in my hospital that use thalidomide. We have a REMS program (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies) for it, so it can only be used safely- that's the hope for the program anyway, and it seems to work just fine. it's interesting to see "in the wile" so to speak, a case study of one of my patients presenting with thalidomide for cancer, then I go look it up and go "wow, we really still use this?" and then I see this video! great stuff

[@3800S1]

I've heard about this REMS, but couldn't find much of a thing here in Aus except the TGA which wasn't much use, I wanted to give a detailed report on my devastating experience with some meds I was put on that I couldn't find any other cases of except a few that contacted me privately from other counties that had the same reactions after seeing my public posts about it. I found it very frustrating that the manufacture of the drug didn't have any way to report or contact. So I feel like myself and others are living a similar situation that people that were affected by thalidomide had to endure with little to no acknowledgment of the problem all those decades ago. I wonder if there is a global program where you can report adverse events?

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

The problem with that is, that unless your a scientist that can verify and assess the claims you make, they cant be prooved true. Theres too many variables for a lay person or patient to say hey this tablet made me sick and it was the tablet alone, if that makes sense.

[@benjaminbeard3736]

Really cool video. Congrats to Edoardo, not just for the process, but for being on a path to benefit all of us.

[@danielcook1271]

Amazing video! As a former research chemist in solid state chemistry I can confirm the routine use of a pestle and mortar. And yes; there’s nothing quite like inventing/discovering a new synthetic route to a (new) material. Even if it is completely pointless (in my case!!!)

[@tony5205]

Thalidomide and it's chemical relatives, pomolidomide and lenalidomide are lifesavers for those of us with Multiple Myeloma - a form of blood/bone marrow cancer.

[@blindandwatching]

IIRC it is used in cancer treatment to prevent tumors from growing blood vessels.

[@donedwards5301]

I love this video. As a Middle school science teacher I am always so thrilled when a student comes back and tells me of they're progress or journey in science. Congratulations on the many, many people that you have changed the course of their lives.

[@ferretyluv]

*their

[@paolapavarotti6557]

I am grateful for the opportunity you gave Edoardo. And so proud of you Edo!

[@PaulG.x]

Most people think Thalidomide was not tested for adverse effects but that is incorrect. It's adverse effects on the embryo only occur over a 16 day period in the growth of the embryo and testing missed that period.

[@solexxx8588]

Would you take a drug that is known to cause severe genetic damage?

[@bradley3549]

@@solexxx8588 I'm not sure what your statement has to do with the original comment.

[@jooei2810]

@@solexxx8588You don’t understand time.

[@geertjalink]

It was tested by Germans in 1945 at polish prisoners 😢😮

[@PaulG.x]

@@geertjalink Thalidomide was first synthesised by Swiss company Chemical Industry Basel in 1952

[@Telephunky]

It can also be used for certain kinds of blood cancer, although there's now a related substance (lenalidomide) specifically for that (and also without the baggage of the scandal).

[@siyuanng8348]

thalidomide is still widely used for myeloma (type of blood cancer) in developing countries. it is also used as an agent for anaemia for patients with myelofibrosis.

[@Metroidzard]

It’s been a hot minute since KZbin recommended me a Periodic vid. Ultra glad to see Martin is still kicking

[@DustinRodriguez1_0]

I always feel a great affinity for kids who have an interest in a specific field very early and then they end up shooting straight for it like the way Edoardo did with chemistry. I did the same thing with computers, as soon as I touched one as a kid I knew I was instantly hooked and would spend my life working with/on them. If any kid expresses interest, I'll do anything I can to help them. Never write off a kids interests as "a phase", especially if they're around that 10-12 age range. Read any biography and I guarantee you that no matter who it is you're reading about, something set the path of their life around that age. People don't figure out what they want to do when its time to go to college in most cases, they either know it all along or they never quite figure it out.

[@MrHeroicDemon]

2012, i was just leaving highschool for work to survive for myself, but I was so happy to stumble upon this channel many many years ago. 2010ish maybe, but I love and wanted to make a difference, so 2020 I strapped up my boots and started studying and taking tests to prove I learned so much. I'm almost done and this update makes me want to cry what I could've done if I had a stable life.

[@sarahdaviscc]

What a great video. Dr O'Duill is great.

[@S3v3n13tt3r5]

Excited to see more pharmaceutical chemistry. Been following for years and somehow ended up a pharmacist. Pharmaceutical chemistry was easy for me, might be subconsciously due to watching your videos for years!

[@fortranwarrior8716]

I only first heard about Thalidomide from the Billy Joel song, and the name is burned into my memory. I saw the title of this video, and I thought, “oh no.” But that’s a lovely story about Edoardo, and it’s nice to know there are good uses for this notorious drug.

[@horsetuna]

I was expecting a bunch of people freaking out about it.

[@ryans6280]

Babe wake up periodic videos just dropped a new one

[@chemnobeliumlab1520]

Congrats :) also one of the fans of this team since 6'th (7 years ago). Because of location difference might not travel to the Nottingham but as always loved the content, team (all of you) and last but not least the professor :)

[@0xDEAFF00D]

We all rewatch the videos, Edoardo. We all rewatch them.

[@soerren5393]

Now, that is a brilliant video. Thank you so much for sharing. The very best for Edoardo! And how much I love vaey much how the realtionship of Martyn and Edoardo started. A story to tell and a video to show to younger people. Being a Chemist myself I'm stillm issing my Lab in the bedroom at the age of 55 🙂

[@steamer1]

A new star of Periodic Videos for sure.

[@Beryllahawk]

This is so wonderful!!! What a gift, to know how much you've inspired someone and to see them doing great things!

[@themagicwoodbus3211]

I’m glad to see new content coming out.

[@andrerenault]

I like how old school this video feels. 2 or 3 different threads being discussed at the same time.

[@krisinsaigon]

This is a lovely story, it’s wonderful that you take the time to meet with these children

[@MTRfundamentalist]

At the end, this compound just doesn't contain thallium, just in the way that theobromine has no bromine in it.

[@Khannesjo]

And Phosgene has no Phosphorus.

[@beeble2003]

Why would you expect thalidomide to contain thallium?

[@pattheplanter]

Periodic acid doesn't have every single element in it, only three of them.

[@thomas.02]

@@pattheplanteryou wouldn’t believe how embarrassingly long it took me to realise periodic stood for per-iodic instead of period-ic

[@tommunyon2874]

Ondansetron is now used for morning sickness; chemotherapy and post surgical nausea. I was in the clinical trial for ondansetron, but it was purportedly being tested as an antidepressant.

[@KarinaMilne]

As a nurse I’ve actually never heard of ondanz as an antidepressant contender

[@tommunyon2874]

@@KarinaMilne The clinical trial was back in the early 1990s. I picked up a magazine in the waiting room of my counselor a few months latter and saw an ad that touted its anti-nausea application. Kind of made me shrug, because for the period of the trial we had to suspend any other type of mental health therapy. Who knows how big pharma works?

[@3800S1]

@@tommunyon2874 What often happens is during drug discovery/development period, a purpose for the drug is proposed or discovered, but often it doesn't work as expected or there is already existing ones on the market that work better, but during trials and further research the unexpected effects or side effects can sometimes be very useful for something that is marketable, so research direction changes and the drug may tick the boxes to be approved as something else. There is 1000s of drugs and compounds being developed and discovered all the time and the ones that make it to market occasionally were meant for something else but changed direction when they find it better suited for a unrelated treatment. Kind of like how Viagra was originally developed for a heart condition but the side effect of ED improvement and it's lack of effect on the heart condition made it end up as what it is today. And Viagra has potential use outside of ED treatment too, more recently found to have neurogenesis and psychiatric properties and among other stuff.

[@Deipnosophist_the_Gastronomer]

I still remember growing up and there were all these people without arms and stuff ... 😢

[@SuiLagadema]

I have to be sincere here. This channel made me took a yearly chemistry 101 class before applying to paramedic school. I didn't get a good chemistry education in HS (and I blame myself for this as well, because the teacher was very good). I got average/mediocre scores in the class, but I learned enough to pass biochemistry classes later on with flying colors. I thank the whole team of Periodic Videos for teaching me to be sincere with myself about my lack of knowledge in chemistry and do something to remedy that situation.

[@Beegs164]

Full circle, how awesome is this!

[@bummi3053]

Thank you for this great Video. Very interessting and fun to watch

[@kimist42]

there is no better feelings than making a molecule that have been never made before

[@collinthomas6288]

This is an amazing story

[@chaoslab]

You are all awesome, love seeing people sharing their stoke .

[@Moose400ex]

I love watching this guys videos!

[@soerren5393]

"...you were my stars..." - let's hope that there will always be those stars around us.

[@alexcarniglia8141]

Thanks for the video.

[@JohnSmith-pw7ri]

What a lad! Congratulations.

[@pkre707]

The most fascinating aspect about chemistry to me is not the chemicals themselves but the process of creation an change. Great video!

[@henriquecoutinho117]

Nice video but I think NMR was overlooked. A video about this amazing analytical technique would be very interesting.

[@peter.stimpel]

Isn't it great if grown-up people stick with their childhood dreams? Cheers, Edoardo

[@bigsarge2085]

Fantastic!

[@rianby64]

Amazing! Really! Amazing!

[@FelizTheLifeguardMinion3]

I’ve followed these channels since their inception ❤😂🎉

[@Pile_of_carbon]

A truly heartwarming story.

[@WAMTAT]

How amazing to have inspired a generation of future scientists

[@jeffreyyoung4104]

His excitement is the same excitement everyone displays when speaking of their favorite subject! And as old as Martin is, he still shows the same excitement! That excitement is what drives people to go and do what they love.

[@Farrisfaen]

This is so cool to see

[@samuelb6960]

Miriam is really good at explaining what she's doing.

[@InebriatedPlutarch]

I worked on a few clinical trials that used lenalidomide and thalidomide. I was certainly amused the first time that I saw it in a protocol document. Whatever works, I suppose.

[@Cosper79]

This is awesome.

[@welcome2thefungiessy]

Thanks!

[@nickush7512]

Excellent work, everyone concerned, congratulations :) Also everyone concerned with the making of this video, thanks....

[@DarkElfDiva]

"A historic molecule" Historic enough to be mentioned in We Didn't Start the Fire.

[@kinzieconrad105]

So you like that commie music huh!

[@nigeldepledge3790]

Brady, I used to use a pestle and mortar routinely, albeit on a much smaller scale. When I was a student, when we wanted to take an infrared spectrum of a substance we had synthsised, we needed to suspend it in a minimal volume of an oil called nujol. To do this, we'd mix it in a little mortar with a little pestle. The resulting paste was known as a "nujol mull". You would then sandwich this between two chunks of sodium chloride (which is transparent to infrared) to put it in the spectrometer and take your spectrum.

[@JackFlead]

Damn doing your calculations on your glove is so smart! I'm going to do that from now on

[@cptntwinkletoes]

My one claim to fame us that im one of the kids in the pic behind the professor in his office.

[@tomarmadiyer2698]

*salutes* that is so freaking cool

[@bolasblancas420]

Cool enough for me.

[@lreid2495]

That works dude.

[@dawngallagher9662]

That's awesome!!

[@Pow3llMorgan]

Edoardo's story is such a testimony to the positive effect Brady Haran's work (and the lovely people at U of Nottingham) has had on this generation's youth!

[@christophers_verified]

14:04 Love the Steadtler Lumocolor markers ❤

[@12tman12]

I've always wondered what they do with all the left over stuff at the end. You've got the leftovers from the reaction, cleaning solvents etc. in liquid form. Certainly can't put it down the drain, must be treated in some way. Wouldn't mind a video showing how that's cleaned up.

[@KaitouKaiju]

Chemicals get stored in appropriate containers and picked up by waste processors

[@12tman12]

@@KaitouKaiju Well yeah, but what happens then. It's not your usual waste processing. Is it put in large hazmat containers and shipped to some storage facility? Dumped like sewer (in UK) into the rivers as they tend to do lately. Or treated to high temps to break everything down to base elements.

[@ferretyluv]

@@12tman12It’s processed at chemical plants.

[@benvars5889]

it first i was like this channel isn't that old, but then i remember that i've been watching this channel for probably ten years now. I just when throuth the oldels videos and the first one i realy remember watching was the cake, 14 years ago. omg

[@TheDrunkenMug]

9:44 Well said Professor! Much love from Holland ❤

[@BooleanDisorder]

Aww, what a great guy Edoardo grew up to be! 😊

[@NorthernThinker]

Thank you for the videos. You cannot imagine the impact your videos will have on this world.

[@finnthehuman5260]

This is so wholesome!!! 💘💘💘💘

[@KarinaMilne]

Wonderful

[@masterimbecile]

Thalidomide stops blood vessel formation, which is terrible for developing fetal limbs, but excellent for starving fast-growing tumors.

[@MrLewooz]

well done Edo!

[@DeconvertedMan]

awesome!

[@diegopascual5586]

Amazing tie!! And great video of course.

[@shannonnewman3091]

This is Cool!

[@SnackPack913]

I was originally interested in chemistry which stemmed from an amazing high school chemistry teacher I had. I went to undergrad and started on my chemistry journey, took about 2 years of organic chemistry classes but during those years it was required to take physics/math courses as well. Turns out I was far more interested in physics than chemistry, learning how everything around me works and can be described and predicted mathematically. Chem seems to work in probabilities and often seems to have exceptions to the rules I was taught about how chemicals should react with eachother given their electrophilic etc nature for example. So I pivoted to physics and math, which I thoroughly enjoy, and now I’m applying that knowledge as an engineer after grad school. Long story short, science teachers inspire students more than they realize, even if they don’t seem super interested in the subject at the time or if they end up in a different STEM field

[@lazarusluan]

The thalidomide tragedy formed the basis for David Cronenberg's dark science fiction film "Scanners". The drug's name was changed to Ephemerol.

[@jamestweedy9269]

Dr Miriam O Duill lectured me in organic chemistry in NUI Galway about four years ago 😂

[@Stealth86651]

Gotta wonder how many kids this channel inspired to continue their education in some chemistry field. Crazy how much influence a few people and some good production can have.

[@thomas.02]

As far as I know apart from leprosy, thalidomide (or its friend called lenalidomide) are used as part of a combination therapy for multiple myeloma, or in really severe cases of lupus where multiple lines of drugs haven’t worked.

[@Randy778]

Your unknown unknowns booth a sad and a joyfull: you don´t know how many children you´ve and will inspire but you´ve lent your shoulders allready anyways. Best wishes for you.

[@wario8855]

He has the fastest “you know” I ever heard

[@chillsahoy2640]

This channel has touched so many lives. I've been following for years, and recently I found out that my boyfriend's sister studied Chemistry at Nottingham, and she actually met Professor Poliakoff! To her, he's just "another lecturer" but I've been "squee-ing" with excitement at being 3 degrees away from him.

[@Chodestick]

What a special episode. Congratulations Eduardo!

[@alanblyde8502]

Keep up the good work fella🤙🇦🇺

[@WhileTrueCode]

always a chuckle to hear a brit/aussie say NMR

[@justinthomas7222]

I click fast for the Epic Hair!

[@billynomates920]

genius hair.

[@lorenzoblum868]

Don't forget the epic ties.