SACATM
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods recommends as a high priority the further evaluation of three methods designed to replace or refine animal use in toxicology testing. The tests were discussed at a Nov. 30 meeting in Research Triangle Park, NC. The first test is the MCF-7 estrogenic activity cell proliferation assay for cross-laboratory validation studies, which assesses the potential endocrine disruptor activity of a substance. The second nomination goes to the BALB/c 3T3 mouse fibroblast neural red uptake test method for predicting the starting doses of chemical mixtures for acute oral toxicity testing. The third test up for further evaluation is the optimal corneal holder and vehicle for bovine corneal opacity and permeability, which is used to identify potential ocular corrosives. The studies are currently undergoing pre-screening by the National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods and the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods...