Introduction to Estradiol, Definition and Structure, Estradiol’s Effect on History: Medicinal Purposes, Estradiol’s Effect on History: Therapeutic Purposes, History’s Effect on Estradiol
Diethylstibestrol (DES) is a synthetic estrogen developed in the 1930’s for women who experienced problems while pregnant. It was given to women who experienced miscarriages or premature deliveries. After nearly 30 years of administering the drug, the FDA realized that it was linked to a rare form of vaginal cancer in the female offspring of the people who took DES.
There are many risks associated with DES including breast cancer, structural differences in the reproductive tracts of the offspring, infertility, clear cell cancer, and pregnancy complications.
A study at Yale University discovered that interaction with DES changes a gene necessary for uterine development. Exposure with DES leads to imprinting in the genetic memory and changing the structure of genes, meaning that offspring of people who used DES would suffer the effects of the drug.