FDA and academia team up to replace animal testing for brain toxins
A major workshop convened by the FDA and University of Maryland explored replacing traditional animal tests with faster, cheaper lab methods for detecting chemicals that harm developing brains. The shift could accelerate drug and food safety assessments while reducing reliance on animal testing—a move with major implications for pharma, food manufacturers, and regulators worldwide.
Originaltitel: State of the Science on Assessing Developmental Neurotoxicity Using New Approach Methods
<p>The workshop titled <em>State of the Science on Assessing Developmental Neurotoxicity Using New Approach Methods </em>was co-organized by University of Maryland’s Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN; now called the Human Foods Program), and was hosted by FDA in College Park, MD on November 14-15, 2023. This event convened experts from international organizations, governmental agencies, industry, and academia to explore the transition from traditional <em>in vivo </em>tests to innovative new approach methods (NAMs) in developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) testing. The discussions emphasized the heightened vulnerability of the developing human brain to toxic exposures and the potential of NAMs to provide more ethical, economical, and scientifically robust alternatives to traditional testing. Various NAMs for DNT were discussed, including <em>in silico</em>, <em>in chemico</em>, <em>in vitro</em>, non-mammalian whole organisms, and novel mammalian approaches. In addition to progress in the field, the workshop discussed ongoing challenges such as expectations to perfectly replicate the complex biology of human neurodevelopment and integration of DNT NAMs into regulatory frameworks. Presentations and panel discussions provided a comprehensive overview of the state of the science, assessed the capabilities and limitations of current DNT NAMs, and outlined critical next steps in advancing the field of DNT testing.</p>