Belgium University to hold open workshop on animal testing alternative

By Michelle Yeomans

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags European parliament

Belgium University to hold open workshop on animal testing alternative
Johns Hopkins University and the University of Konstanz in Brussels have announced they are to hold an open workshop on the ‘Human Toxome Project’ for alternatives to animal testing (CAAT) on the 15th of this month.

The workshop is set to highlight the weaknesses of traditional approaches for toxicity testing and show the strength and the relevance of new methods and concepts.

The small non-profit center is offering industry professionals to see first-hand how the Human Toxome Project can help the industry to comply with major European Regulations dealing with cosmetics, chemicals and toxicity testing.

The university website states; “Toxicity testing is not delivering what safety of products demands nor is it sufficiently relying upon the most advanced technologies​. The system is expensive, time consuming, low-throughput and often provides results of limited predictive value for human health.”

The purpose of the human toxome project, parallel to the human genome project is the compilation of a comprehensive list of all human “pathway of toxicity” (PoT), the human toxome.

What works for the US...

According to CAAT, a new toxicity testing plan has already been launched in the US which includes the use of predictive, cell-based assays (of human origin) to evaluate perturbations in key pathways of toxicity, and to conduct targeted testing against those pathways.

University CEO Dr. Mardas Daneshian told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com, “New developments in the area of regulatory toxicity are on-going in the USA. This workshop aims to awaken the decision maker and hopes for a combination of forces from both sides of the Atlantic for the realization of the human toxome project​.”

Backed by the European Parliament

The project organised by Mr Vittorio Prodi of the European Parliament and of the ITRE and ENVI Committees, says this is a new European horizon for risk assessment. 

This is the first time the European Parliament have been involved with John Hopkins University on a project like this​,” Prodi’s office told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.

For more information or how to apply for an access badge please see here​.

Related topics Regulation & Safety Animal Testing

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