The history of Distilbène® (Diethylstilbestrol) told to grandchildren – the transgenerational effect
2015 Study Abstract
The Distilbène® story is a dramatic episode which belongs to the history of medicine. It provided several useful lessons such as the importance of evidence-based medicine and the hazard to develop treatments during pregnancy without careful animal verifications. However, this experience has also provided unexpected progress by suggesting new pathophysiological concepts: fetal programming of adult diseases and/or transgenerational transmission of environmental effects through epigenetic modifications.
Overview
- Introduction
- History
- Diseases reported in second generation after foetal exposure to DES
- Developmental and reproductive anomalies
- Non-reproductive anomalies
- Diseases reported in the third generation after the grandmother was treated with DES during pregnancy
- Human abnormalities
- Concordance with rodent model
- Which molecular mechanisms?
- Exposure window
- Chemical nature of estrogens
- The mechanisms involved in foetal programming of adult diseases – epigenetic modifications
- Transgenerational transmission mechanisms
- Conclusion
- Disclosure of interest
Sources
- Full paper (free access) : The history of Distilbène® (Diethylstilbestrol) told to grandchildren–the transgenerational effect, ANNALES D’ENDOCRINOLOGIE, EM Consulte, article/990390, 22/07/15.
- Featured image Isaiah Rustad.
DES DIETHYLSTILBESTROL RESOURCES
- Source DES transgenerational effects studies.
- Diethylstilbestrol DES studies by topics.