INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF THE 13TH MEETING OF THE SCIENTIFIC GROUP ON METHODOLOGIES FOR THE SAFETY EVALUATION OF CHEMICALS (SGOMSEC) - ALTERNATIVE TESTING METHODOLOGIES

A workshop on alternative toxicological testing methodologies was conv ened by the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluatio n of Chemicals (SGOMSEC) 26-31 January 1997 in Ispra, Italy, at the Eu ropean Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods. The purpose o f the workshop was to assess the current status of alternative testing methodologies available to evaluate adverse human health and environm ental effects of chemicals. Another objective of the workshop was to i dentify and recommend research needed to fill knowledge gaps that woul d lead to new test methodologies. Four work groups were established to address conceptual issues, acute toxicity, organ toxicity, and ecotox icology. A joint workshop report was prepared for each topic and inclu ded recommendations for the development and use of alternative methods . Participants concluded that alternative methods and approaches are a vailable that can be incorporated into tiered strategies for toxicolog ical assessments. Use of these methods will reduce the numbers of anim als required, and in some instances reduce animal pain and distress. I t was recommended that future efforts to develop test methods should e mphasize mechanism-based methods that can provide improved predictions of toxicity. Continued international cooperation was encouraged to fa cilitate future progress in the development of alternative toxicologic al testing methods. These methods will provide for improvements in hum an health protection, environmental protection, and animal welfare.