Article: Future platforms for toxicity testing Journal: International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management (IJRAM) 2017 Vol.20 No.1/2/3 pp.59 - 87 Abstract: The toxicology community is in the midst of a paradigm shift, moving from high-dose testing in animals with extrapolation to expected responses in humans to an in vitro approach based on a mechanistic understanding of key toxicity pathways. Tools such as cell-based assays that interrogate specific toxicity pathways, multi-omics technologies, bioinformatics, and computational systems modelling enable deeper understanding of human biology at the molecular level. Integration of these tools provides a powerful new approach to toxicity testing. The tools and technologies used in toxicity testing platforms are continuously emerging, evolving, and being applied in novel ways. The goal of this article is to: 1) describe recently emerged technologies; 2) highlight advances in various existing platforms; 3) provide relevant examples of how these platform components are currently being applied in toxicity testing; 4) discuss advantages and limitations of each platform and identify gaps where further developments are required. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Future platforms for toxicity testing

Authors: Mary T. McBride

Addresses: Government Relations Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis, vAgilent Technologies, Inc., 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20036, USA

Abstract: The toxicology community is in the midst of a paradigm shift, moving from high-dose testing in animals with extrapolation to expected responses in humans to an in vitro approach based on a mechanistic understanding of key toxicity pathways. Tools such as cell-based assays that interrogate specific toxicity pathways, multi-omics technologies, bioinformatics, and computational systems modelling enable deeper understanding of human biology at the molecular level. Integration of these tools provides a powerful new approach to toxicity testing. The tools and technologies used in toxicity testing platforms are continuously emerging, evolving, and being applied in novel ways. The goal of this article is to: 1) describe recently emerged technologies; 2) highlight advances in various existing platforms; 3) provide relevant examples of how these platform components are currently being applied in toxicity testing; 4) discuss advantages and limitations of each platform and identify gaps where further developments are required.

Keywords: multi-omics; metabolomics; proteomics; in vitro toxicity testing; systems toxicology; cell-based assays; toxicity pathways; bioinformatics; computational systems modelling; human biology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRAM.2017.082556

International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2017 Vol.20 No.1/2/3, pp.59 - 87

Received: 18 Jan 2016
Accepted: 19 Jan 2016
Published online: 01 Mar 2017 *

Title: Future platforms for toxicity testing

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