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COT workshop on 21st century toxicology: 11 February 2009
The COT held a one-day workshop in Meriden, West Midlands on Wednesday 11th February 2009
Internationally distinguished speakers described the activities underway for the refinement of experimental and risk assessment toxicology though the generation of improved understanding of mechanisms and the interplay of systems. The workshop addressed a recent US National Academy report called Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy. The report called for accelerated development and adoption of human cell in vitro and in silico methods for the prediction of hazards, the determination of mechanistic information, and the integration of data. The aim is to facilitate predictions of human in vivo responses without animals, and in a high-throughput manner applicable to combinations of mixtures and historic compounds with incomplete safety data.
Introduction to the workshop from the COT Chair
The Committee on Toxicity (COT) evaluates chemicals for their potential to harm human health. Risk assessments are carried out at the request of the Food Standards Agency, Health Protection Agency and other Government Departments including the Regulatory Authorities . They cover chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment.
The Committee also provides advice on important general principles of risk assessment for chemicals, and on new scientific discoveries in connection with toxic risks. An important part of the COT’s work is its annual ‘horizon scanning’ exercise, in which it considers emerging issues on which scientific advice or research may be needed.
This workshop focuses on questions that emerge from a report published by the United States National Academy in 2007 on “Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy" . The National Academy report sets out a 10-20 year strategy in which the goal would be to develop and validate toxicological protocols that move away from testing in animals through use of in vitro and computer-based assessments of toxicity and mechanisms.
The aim is to enable predictions of human in vivo responses to chemicals in a high-throughput and cost-effective manner, with less use of experimental animals. Among other things, this might facilitate toxicological assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals, which has been an area of increasing interest in recent years.
I would like to welcome all of our distinguished speakers and delegates and I hope that the presentations will stimulate lively discussions and encourage the audience to participate. I would also like to thank the Secretariat for organising this workshop.
Professor D Coggon (Chair)
OBE MA PhD DM FRCP FFOM FFPH FMedSci
The COT will discuss the workshop at its next meeting in April, this will be followed with a statement from the Committee.
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