Toxicology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Toxicology, including details on forensic toxicology, carcinogenicity, assays.

Alternative methods for developmental toxicity testing.

Piersma AH

Laboratory for Toxicology, Pathology and Genetics, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, the Netherlands. ah.piersma@rivm.ml

Alternatives to animal testing in developmental toxicology have been the subject of three decades of research. The aims of these investigations have been to reduce animal experimentation, to refine effect assessment and mechanistic studies, and to accelerate and simplify safety testing in an area of toxicology that uses relatively many animals. Many alternatives have been developed over the years with different compexities, using biologic material ranging from continuous cell lines to complete embryos. The validation of alternatives and their application in testing strategies is still in its infancy, although significant steps towards these aims are currently being made. The introduction of the genomics technology is a promising emerging area in developmental toxicity testing in vitro. Future application of alternatives in testing strategies for developmental toxicity may significantly gain from the inclusion of gene expression studies, given the unique programme of gene expression changes in embryonic and foetal development.

Published 25 April 2006 in Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol, 98(5): 427-31.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Toxicology Research Today. All Rights Reserved.