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The adverse outcome pathway: A multifaceted framework supporting 21st century toxicology
Citation:
Ankley, G. AND S. Edwards. The adverse outcome pathway: A multifaceted framework supporting 21st century toxicology. Current Opinion in Toxicology. Elsevier BV, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 9:1-7, (2018).
Impact/Purpose:
The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework is designed to support the use of alternative data streams, such as molecular and biochemical measurements, in chemical risk assessments. There are several examples as to how AOPs have been used in this manner, but many of these applications have not previously been summarized. This short review describes the conceptual basis of the AOP framework and presents four different case examples of its application in both human health and ecological assessments.
Description:
The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework serves as a knowledge assembly, interpretation, and communication tool designed to support the translation of pathway-specific mechanistic data into responses relevant to assessing and managing risks of chemicals to human health and the environment. As such, AOPs facilitate the use of data streams often not employed by risk assessors in the past, including information from in silico models, in vitro assays and short-term in vivo tests with molecular/biochemical endpoints. This translational capability can increase the capacity and efficiency of safety assessments both for single chemicals and chemical mixtures. Our mini-review describes the conceptual basis of the AOP framework and aspects of its current status relative to use by toxicologists and risk assessors; as part of this, four illustrative examples of different applications are provided. Finally, we provide a brief synopsis of future areas of emphasis relative to the framework.
