ICCVAM Communities of Practice Webinar 2023

Emerging Approaches for Anchoring Biological Relevance of New Approach Methodologies 

Monday, January 30, 2023 

Slides and video from the webinar are available below.

ICCVAM promotes the development and validation of toxicity testing methods that protect human health and the environment while replacing, reducing, or refining animal use. ICCVAM also provides guidance to test method developers and facilitates collaborations that promote the development of new test methods. This webinar, organized on behalf of ICCVAM by NICEATM, discussed emerging approaches to anchor biological relevance of new approach methodologies (NAMs). 

The term NAMs refers to approaches that can be used alone or in combination to provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment without traditional animal tests. Traditional approaches to evaluating NAMs consider how well the results of chemical tests using NAMs correspond with the results of animal tests on the same chemicals.  However, the usefulness of this approach is limited, especially when the animal results are variable or the animal model does not adequately represent the species or effect of regulatory interest.

This webinar discussed approaches to evaluating NAMs that are based on evaluating the biological relevance of the NAM to the species of regulatory interest.  Ongoing activities and key insights were described in three presentations by speakers from the academic and private sectors focusing on applications of small model organisms, organs-on-chips, and models of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Presentations

Performance Assessment of a Human Liver-Chip for Predictive Toxicology
Lorna Ewart, PhD, Emulate Inc.

Developing an In Vitro Integrated Organ Model for Pharmacokinetic and ADME Predictions
James McKim, PhD, IONTOX, LifeNet Health LifeSciences

Building Confidence in Larval Zebrafish Behavior Assays: From Phenotypes to Mechanisms
Tamara Tal, PhD, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ

Run time of video is about 2 hr.