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EPAs ToxCast Program: From Research to Application
Citation:
DIX, D. J. EPAs ToxCast Program: From Research to Application. Presented at OECD Molecular Screening Meeting, Paris, FRANCE, October 26, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation
Description:
A New Paradigm for Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century. In FY 2009, EPA published the toxicity reference database ToxRefDB, which contains results of over 30 years and $2B worth of animal studies for over 400 chemicals. This database is available on EPA’s website, and increases transparency of EPA data and decisions. EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs is relying on ToxRefDB for several international collaborative projects. ToxRefDB is also critical for the interpretation of data derived from the ToxCast chemical screening program; providing critical linkages between bioactivity profiles and toxicity endpoints (see ToxRefDB-ToxCast Graphic). ToxCast is an EPA project that develops better methods for evaluating the potential toxicity of thousands of chemicals using computer modeling and advanced molecular biology techniques. ToxCast is using a comprehensive suite of high throughput screening (HTS) assays to provide biological fingerprints of activity that can be used to predict adverse outcomes in rodents and in humans. ToxCast Phase I generated bioactivity profiles on over 300 chemicals from over 500 assays in FY 2009. In May 2009, a public ToxCast Data Analysis Summit with over 200 national and international participants included partners from dozens of organizations world-side that contributing chemicals, assays, analyses and other resources to ToxCast. Analysis of the Phase I dataset is ongoing, both by EPA and external groups as this dataset represents a truly unique and innovative public scientific resource for predictive toxicology. Phase II of ToxCast was also launched in FY 2009, profiling 700 additional chemicals in the HTS assays.