Don't sleep on the hypnotic potential of thalidomide

(University of Tsukuba) Researchers from the University of Tsukuba identified a novel molecular pathway for the hypnotic effects of thalidomide. By comparing the effects of thalidomide on the sleep of normal mice and mice in which the protein cereblon was resistant to thalidomide, the researchers found that thalidomide acted independently of cereblon but similarly to general anesthetics and sedatives to induce sleep. These findings could help develop thalidomide-like hypnotic drugs without its t...