A possible roadmap for systemic toxicity testing

Abstract

Animal testing for the safety assessment of cosmetics is foreseen to be banned in 2013. This has enhanced the development of alternative testing methods, but despite the huge efforts, the areas of toxicokinetics, repeated dose toxicity, carcinogenicity, skin sensitization, and reproductive toxicity have been extensively reviewed and further scientific challenges have been identified.In October 2011 an expert workshop, organized by the Centre of Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT-Europe) and the Trans-Atlantic Think Tank of Toxicology (t4) was held, to take a larger perspective regarding the respective areas. A forward looking strategy was discussed, taking into account latest scientific innovations, to develop a roadmap for systemic toxicity testing for cosmetics and other substances.Each area was intensively reviewed and following recommendations were achieved: Existing testing approaches should be evaluated applying an evidence-based approach, to detect useless tests and thrive towards their abolition. Key events should be identified, which could be tackled specifically and information-rich single tests should be developed. The same approach could be used, to identify useful tests, which provide the information, leading to classification of a compound and their optimization should be boosted. The area of in silico approaches should be emerged further and integrated into a larger context. The idea of Tox21c was embraced and the identification of Pathways of Toxicity (PoT) was considered the way forward.All these efforts should lead to Integrated testing strategies (ITS), which are scientifically sound and valid, to perform risk assessment towards an enhanced consumer safety without the use of animals.