Computer Automated Structure Evaluation (CASE) of the teratogenicity of retinoids with the aid of a novel geometry index.

The CASE (Computer Automated Structure Evaluation) program, with the aid of a geometry index for discriminating cis and trans isomers, has been used to study a set of retinoids tested for teratogenicity in hamsters. CASE identified 8 fragments, the most important representing the non-polar terminus of a retinoid with an additional ring system which introduces some rigidity in the side chain. The geometry index helped to identify relevant fragments with an all-trans configuration and to distinguish them from irrelevant fragments with other configurations.