Project description
Chemical safety assessment with animal-free approaches
Current toxicology practices rely heavily on animal testing, a process facing ethical concerns and limited predictive value for human health. In this context, the EU-funded EU-ToxRisk project will drive a paradigm shift towards an animal-free, mechanism-based integrated approach to chemical safety assessment. With a primary focus on repeated dose systemic toxicity and developmental/reproductive toxicity, EU-ToxRisk integrates a range of human tiered test systems that strike a balance between efficiency, cost-effectiveness and biological complexity. The project harnesses cutting-edge technologies, including high-throughput transcriptomics, RNA interference and high-throughput microscopy, to provide quantitative and mechanistic insights into the adverse outcome pathways and key events that underpin toxicity. The project will establish fit-for-purpose integrated approaches to testing and assessment.
Objective
The vision of EU-ToxRisk is to drive a paradigm shift in toxicology towards an animal-free, mechanism-based integrated approach to chemical safety assessment. The project will unite all relevant disciplines and stakeholders to establish: i) pragmatic, solid read-across procedures incorporating mechanistic and toxicokinetic knowledge; and ii) ab initio hazard and risk assessment strategies of chemicals with little background information. The project will focus on repeated dose systemic toxicity (liver, kidney, lung and nervous system) as well as developmental/reproduction toxicity. Different human tiered test systems are integrated to balance speed, cost and biological complexity. EU-ToxRisk extensively integrates the adverse outcome pathway (AOP)-based toxicity testing concept. Therefore, advanced technologies, including high throughput transcriptomics, RNA interference, and high throughput microscopy, will provide quantitative and mechanistic underpinning of AOPs and key events (KE). The project combines in silico tools and in vitro assays by computational modelling approaches to provide quantitative data on the activation of KE of AOP. This information, together with detailed toxicokinetics data, and in vitro-in vivo extrapolation algorithms forms the basis for improved hazard and risk assessment. The EU-ToxRisk work plan is structured along a broad spectrum of case studies, driven by the cosmetics, (agro)-chemical, pharma industry together with regulators. The approach involves iterative training, testing, optimization and validation phases to establish fit-for-purpose integrated approaches to testing and assessment with key EU-ToxRisk methodologies. The test systems will be combined to a flexible service package for exploitation and continued impact across industry sectors and regulatory application. The proof-of-concept for the new mechanism-based testing strategy will make EU-ToxRisk the flagship in Europe for animal-free chemical safety assessment.
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Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
2311 EZ Leiden
Netherlands
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Participants (43)
78464 Konstanz
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6200 MD Maastricht
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67063 Ludwigshafen Am Rhein
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
10589 Berlin
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EC4Y 0DY LONDON
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17177 Stockholm
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60550 Verneuil En Halatte
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1160 Bruxelles / Brussel
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2100 Goedoello
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1098 XH Amsterdam
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3000 Leuven
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2595 DA Den Haag
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80686 Munchen
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44139 Dortmund
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75008 Paris
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4057 Basel
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
20156 Milano
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EC2Y 5EB London
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6020 Innsbruck
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2333 ZA Leiden
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08002 Barcelona
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69117 Heidelberg
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1010 Wien
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46026 Valencia
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1165 Kobenhavn
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4070 Basel
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OX14 4RZ Abingdon Oxfordshire
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
13347 Berlin
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
21218 Baltimore
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8952 Schlieren
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
69117 Heidelberg
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70599 Stuttgart
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Participation ended
5000 Odense
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75008 Paris
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44149 Dortmund
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00161 Roma
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SN2 1FL Swindon
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CB4 0WF Cambridge
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
LS11 5PS Leeds
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1081 HV Amsterdam
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2800 Kongens Lyngby
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501 15 Boras
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10691 Stockholm
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