ASSESSING THE RISKS OF ADVERSE ENDOCRINE-MEDIATED EFFECTS - WHERE TO FROM HERE

This article is based on the closing lecture (by J. Ashby) of the meet ing held in Research Triangle Park on January 13-14, 1997-''Assessing the Risks of Adverse Endocrine-Mediated Effects.'' Several summaries o f unpublished data from Zeneca CTL are presented to illustrate concern s over the present absence of agreed criteria for the assessment of en docrine toxicity data. Reference is also made to several points raised by others during the course of the meeting. It is concluded that the substantial challenges currently faced can be met only by strict adher ence to the basic principles of good scientific practice, preeminent a mong which are the needs to confirm data and to respond to them in a c ool and dispassionate manner. The wealth of expertise and enthusiasm b eing devoted to the task in hand, by both governmental and industrial interests, suggests that practical means by which to address the topic of the symposium will be forthcoming in the near future. However, mov es to accelerate progress unduly-''to conduct science under the gun''- are already evident. Therefore, if external influences demand that sho rt-cuts must be taken toward achievement of the goals set out in the W ingspread Statement (Colborn and Clement, 1992), such compromises shou ld be clearly identified in order not to confuse the underlying progre ss that is already evident in this new branch of toxicology. (C) 1997 Academic Press.