[The return of thalidomide]

Nearly four decades after its withdrawal from the marketplace because of the discover of its teratogenicity, the thalidomide is now attracting a renewed interest due to the identification of its important anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenic effects. After the approval in the United States of the thalidomide for treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum, several studies have been conducted in patients with dermatologic disorders, conditions associated with HIV infection, graft-versus-host disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Cron's disease, and cancer. In this paper the mechanisms of action of thalidomide and its indications in human diseases are summarized.