Defining the role of ECVAM in the development, validation and acceptance of alternative tests and testing strategies

Organs-on-a-Chip

Organs-on-chips, also known as "tissue chips" or microphysiological systems (MPS), are bioengineered microsystems capable of recreating aspects of human organ physiology and function and are in vitro tools with multiple applications in drug discovery and development. The ability to recapitulate human and animal tissues in physiologically relevant three-dimensional, multi-cellular environments allows applications in the drug development field, including; (1) use in assessing the safety and toxicity testing of potential therapeutics during early-stage preclinical drug development; (2) confirmation of drug/therapeutic efficacy in vitro; and (3) disease modeling of human tissues to recapitulate pathophysiology within specific subpopulations and even individuals, thereby advancing precision medicine efforts. This chapter will discuss the development and evolution of three-dimensional organ models over the past decade, and some of the opportunities offered by MPS technology that are not available through current standard two-dimensional cell cultures, or three-dimensional organoid systems. This chapter will outline future avenues of research in the MPS field, how cutting-edge biotechnology advances are expanding the applications for these systems, and discuss the current and future potential and challenges remaining for the field to address.

Advancing alternatives analysis: The role of predictive toxicology in selecting safer chemical products and processes

Alternatives analysis (AA) is a method used in regulation and product design to identify, assess, and evaluate the safety and viability of potential substitutes for hazardous chemicals. It requires toxicological data for the existing chemical and potential alternatives. Predictive toxicology uses in silico and in vitro approaches, computational models, and other tools to expedite toxicological data generation in a more cost-effective manner than traditional approaches. The present article briefly reviews the challenges associated with using predictive toxicology in regulatory AA, then presents 4 recommendations for its advancement. It recommends using case studies to advance the integration of predictive toxicology into AA, adopting a stepwise process to employing predictive toxicology in AA beginning with prioritization of chemicals of concern, leveraging existing resources to advance the integration of predictive toxicology into the practice of AA, and supporting transdisciplinary efforts. The further incorporation of predictive toxicology into AA would advance the ability of companies and regulators to select alternatives to harmful ingredients, and potentially increase the use of predictive toxicology in regulation more broadly. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:915-925. © 2017 SETAC.

Future improvements: replacement in vitro methods

Revolutions in thinking and practice are essential in regulatory toxicology if genuine protection of human beings and the environment is truly to be improved. New test development is the key: Tests should have greater relevance than the current animal procedures based on (1) a mechanistic understanding of the basis of the test method itself and of the toxic phenomenon of concern, (2) taking advantage of new developments in cell and molecular biology and computer systems of various kinds, and (3) a clear understanding of the value of good prediction models. In the not-too-distant future, current research in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics should provide opportunities for the development of valuable new tests. An inescapable requirement of tests intended to be used for regulatory purposes is validation (i.e., an independent assessment of relevance and reliability for stated purposes according to internationally agreed-upon criteria). However, there is no standard validation scheme; a case-by-case approach is essential. It is important to take advantage of experience, which reveals that prevalidation makes formal validation studies faster, less expensive, and more likely to succeed, and that the procedures for independent assessment used by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) and the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) are effective in practice.

The establishment of ECVAM and its progress since 1993

The background to the establishment of ECVAM in 1991 is summarised, and progress made since 1993 is briefly reviewed in relation to 12 recommendations made at the ECVAM Opening Symposium in 1994 and to statements on tests for chemicals and biologicals endorsed by the ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee since 1997.

The role of ECVAM in promoting the regulatory acceptance of alternative methods in the European Union. European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods

The roles played by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) and its advisory committee, the ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC), in the evolution of alternative methods are described. Particular emphasis is given to the process by which ECVAM and the ESAC assess the scientific validities of alternative methods, and, in appropriate cases, initiate the progression of scientifically validated methods toward regulatory acceptance.