Overview
Scientific Workshop on Acute Chemical Safety Testing:
Advancing In Vitro Approaches and Humane Endpoints for Systemic Toxicity Evaluations
February 6-7, 2008
Natcher Conference Center - National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD
The goals of this workshop were to:
- Review the state-of-the-science and identify knowledge gaps (at the whole organism, organ
system, cellular, and/or molecular levels) regarding the key in vivo pathways involved in acute systemic toxicity
- Recommend how these knowledge gaps can be addressed by collecting mechanistic biomarker
data during currently required in vivo safety testing
- Recommend how in vivo key pathway information can be used to develop more predictive
mechanism-based in vitro test systems and to identify biomarkers that may serve as
earlier, more humane endpoints for in vivo test methods
- Recommend how mechanism-based in vitro test systems and earlier, more humane endpoints
can be used to further reduce, refine, and eventually replace animal use for acute systemic
toxicity testing while ensuring the protection of human and animal health
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Distinguished speakers addressed topics relating to each of the goals outlined above.
Five breakout groups explored key themes related to the goals in detail.
Over one hundred people from five countries attended this workshop. Attendees represented
various ICCVAM stakeholder groups, including Federal agencies, academia, industry, international
organizations, and the animal welfare community. Attendees participated in breakout group
discussions to address goals, objectives, and questions put forth by the workshop sponsors relating
to the following themes:
- Key Pathways for Acute Systemic Toxicity
- Current Acute Systemic Toxicity Injury and Toxicity Assessments
- Identifying Earlier Humane Endpoints for Acute Systemic Toxicity Testing
- Application of In Vivo Mode of Action and Mechanistic Information to the Development
and Validation of In Vitro Methods for Assessing Acute Systemic Toxicity
- Industry Involvement in Test Method Development, Validation, and Use
Each breakout group prepared a draft report that included recommendations for future activities
to address research and development needs in the key theme areas relating to its topic of discussion.
The resulting draft reports will be collated by NICEATM into a workshop report that will be made
available to the public through a peer-reviewed journal and the NICEATM-ICCVAM website.
This workshop was organized by NICEATM and sponsored by ICCVAM, NICEATM, the European Centre
for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) and the Japanese Center for the Validation of
Alternative Methods (JaCVAM). Please see the links below for more information about the Workshop,
including the agenda, speaker presentations, and biographical information on the speakers and
panelists.
View Federal Register Notice announcing the Workshop
(Vol. 73, No. 2, pp. 493-495, January 3, 2008)
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