Pre-screening tool to minimise animal testing
Many industrial chemicals in common use have not undergone toxicological testing or been classified regarding safety. In response to the pressing need to develop alternative testing methodologies to rapidly classify current and future chemicals, the EU-funded project CHEMSCREEN was launched by nine partners from five European countries. With a focus on non-animal based reproductive toxins, the team produced a simple and rapid in silico (computer-based) screening tool to meet the time schedule of the European Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). Exploiting the power of computing enables a rapid preliminary screening of molecular and chemical structures in new formulations that are compared to known toxins. According to the types of likely toxic effects, genotoxic or carcinogenic for example, subsequent in silico and in vitro testing are used to further classify the materials. CHEMSCREEN developed a high-throughput screening assay for reproductive toxicity that identifies increasingly present endocrine active compounds, also known as endocrine disruptors, with 100% accuracy. The assay also identifies chemicals causing deformities in reproductive organs with 87% accuracy. The testing platform enables identification of potential reproductive and developmental toxins prior to in vivo testing for more effective and efficient (reduced) use of animal testing. Scientists have also developed methods to integrate chemical test data from in silico and in vitro analyses with reference data using a variety of databases. With continued promotion of the in silico tools and test batteries to regulatory agencies to facilitate widespread acceptance, CHEMSCREEN scientists are on the road to achieving significant reductions in animal testing and testing costs. Rapid toxicological testing will get all chemicals in use properly evaluated and facilitate rapid classification of all new chemicals as well for the safety and well-being of EU citizens and the environment.
Keywords
Chemicals, reproductive toxins, in silico, high-throughput screening, animal testing