Toxicology testing

Toxicology testing, also known as safety assessment, or toxicity testing, is the process of determining the degree to which a substance of interest negatively impacts the normal biological functions of an organism, given a certain exposure duration, route of exposure, and substance concentration. Toxicology testing is often conducted by researchers who follow established toxicology test protocol for a certain substance, mode of exposure, exposure environment, duration of exposure, or for a particular organism of interest, or for a particular developmental stage of interest. Toxicology testing is commonly conducted during preclinical development for a substance intended for human exposure. Stages of in vitro and in vivo research are conducted to determine safe exposure doses in model organisms. If necessary, the next phase of research involves human toxicology testing during a first-in-man study. Toxicology testing may be conducted by the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, or environmental scientists.

U.S. Army Public Health Center Toxicology Lab technician assessing samples

History

Europe

Around one million animals, primate and non–primate, are used every year in Europe in toxicology tests.[1] In the UK, one-fifth of animal experiments are toxicology tests.[2] Animal testing for cosmetic purposes is currently banned all across the European Union[3]

Methodology

Toxicity tests examine finished products such as pesticides, medications, cosmetics, food additives such as artificial sweeteners, packing materials, and air freshener, or their chemical ingredients. The substances are applied to the skin or eyes; injected intravenously, intramuscularly, or subcutaneously; inhaled either by placing a mask over the animals and restraining them, or by placing them in an inhalation chamber; or administered orally, through a tube into the stomach, or placing them in the animals' food. Doses may be given once, repeated regularly for many months, or for the lifespan of the animal.[4] Toxicity tests can also be conducted on materials need to be disposed such as sediment to be disposed in marine environment.

Contract research organizations
Main article: Contract research organization

A contract research organization (CRO) is an organization that provides support to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, and medical device industries in the form of research services outsourced on a contract basis. A CRO may provide toxicity testing services, along with others such as assay development, preclinical research, clinical research, clinical trials management, and pharmacovigilance. CROs also support foundations, research institutions, and universities, in addition to governmental organizations (such as the NIH, EMEA, etc.).[5]

Regulation

United States

In the United States, toxicology tests are subject to Good Laboratory Practice guidelines and other Food and Drug Administration laws.

See also

References
  1. Abbott, A (November 10, 2005). "Animal testing: More than a cosmetic change" (PDF). Nature. 438 (7065): 144–146. Bibcode:2005Natur.438..144A. doi:10.1038/438144a. PMID 16281001. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2008.
  2. Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures Report, House of Lords, Chapter 3: The purpose and nature of animal experiments.
  3. "Ban on Animal Testing - Growth - European Commission". Growth. 2016-07-05. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  4. Parasuraman S (2011). "Toxicological screening". J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2 (2): 74–9. doi:10.4103/0976-500X.81895. PMC 3127354. PMID 21772764.
  5. "The CRO Market", Association of Clinical Research Organizations.
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