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Developmental neurotoxicity testing: Past, present and future.
Citation:
CROFTON, K. M. Developmental neurotoxicity testing: Past, present and future. Presented at Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference, Cincinnati, OH, April 14 - 17, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
The challenge for developmental neurotoxicologists, regulatory agencies, and the regulated community is to develop true first-tier high-throughput screening technologies for environmental chemicals.
Description:
Adverse effects on the nervous system following exposure to environmental contaminants during development have been well documented. Indeed, in a number of cases (e.g., lead, methyl mercury) the developing human nervous system appears to be a highly susceptible target. There are, however, a large numbers of environmental chemicals for which there is little to no health risk information, including development neurotoxicity. Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing (DNT) guidelines were developed by the US EPA and promulgated in 1991 in response to the need for regulatory-based screening methods for developmental neurotoxicity. Unfortunately, the DNT guideline is expensive in terms of scientific resources and time, and does not represent a viable approach to screening large number of chemicals for the potential to adversely impact the developing nervous system. The scientific community has begun a number of efforts to address these concerns. This includes efforts to improve current methods, and developing targeted testing based on available mode-of-action information. These efforts will allow better use and interpretation of existing technologies. The challenge for developmental neurotoxicologists, regulatory agencies, and the regulated community is to develop true first-tier high-throughput screening technologies. These methods will allow prioritization of further testing based on toxic potential, leading to more efficient testing. Major scientific issues that need to be resolved include validation of new test methods, development of tiered decision logic, and regulatory acceptance. (This abstract does not represent USEPA policy)