National Toxicology Program

January - June 2015

January

EMGS honors Barbara Shane

The Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS) presented a 2014 award to retired National Toxicology Program (NTP) toxicologist Barbara Shane, Ph.D., during its annual meeting this fall in New Orleans.

New OHAT Handbook for Conducting Systematic Reviews

The Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) announces release of its “Handbook for Conducting a Literature-Based Health Assessment Using OHAT Approach for Systematic Review and Evidence Integration."

NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM)

NICEATM will host the webinar “Reverse Toxicokinetics: Using In Vitro Data to Estimate Exposures that Could Be Associated with Adverse Effects In Vivo” on January 27, 2015.

Diversity Outbred mice better predict potential human responses to chemical exposures

NIEHS researchers report that Diversity Outbred mice can accurately predict the range of response to chemical exposures that might be observed in human populations.

NTP expands coverage of Nonneoplastic Lesion Atlas

Several new sections have been added to the National Toxicology Program’s Nonneoplastic Lesion Atlas over the last few months.

Linking inflammation with environmental exposures

The NIEHS inflammation faculty featured NTP efforts to uncover links between environmental exposures and inflammation in a Dec. 11 webcast seminar.

NTP advisors like what they hear at meeting

The National Toxicology Program Board of Scientific Counselors was pleased with program updates presented at their Dec. 9-10 meeting.

EPA pesticide panel considers new approach for chemical screening

NTP scientists were on hand Dec. 2–5 to support a high-throughput proposal for screening and prioritizing chemicals in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program.

Veterinary pathology group chooses Malarkey as 2015 president-elect

NTP Pathologist David Malarkey, D.V.M., Ph.D., was elected this summer as 2015 president-elect of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

February

NTP updates the public on studies of chemicals from West Virginia spill

NTP has launched a public Website to provide information and updates about NTP’s response to the January 2014 chemical spill into West Virginia’s Elk River.

Former NTP scientific counselor Carney dies unexpectedly

Friends and colleagues at NIEHS and NTP were shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death Jan. 12 of toxicologist Edward Carney, Ph.D., at age 55.

Big picture talk offers behind-the-scenes look at NTP in action

The National Toxicology Program took center stage Jan. 20 as latest seminar of the popular Big Picture, Small Talk series focused on the Elk River, West Virginia chemical spill.

NTP provides lab and training to N.C. A&T University

A student and a lab manager from N.C. A&T travel weekly to NIEHS to enhance their research using state-of-the-art facilities.

NIEHS will host IOM workshop on exposures and obesity March 2-3

The meeting and webcast of the Institute of Medicine Roundtable will explore links between environmental exposures and obesity.

Reproducibility advanced by new NTP systematic review handbook

NTP released a handbook so anyone can adopt its systematic review process, helping advance reproducibility in environmental health sciences.

Behl gives Duke seminar on NTP flame retardant toxicity screening

Mamta Behl, Ph.D., discussed NTP toxicity screening tests that compare new flame retardants to the compounds they are replacing.

Friends and colleagues remember former NIEHS geneticist de Serres

The field of environmental mutagenesis lost one of its leading figures with the death Dec. 21, 2014 of Frederick de Serres, Ph.D., at age 85 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

March

NTP presents SAN trimer results at Toms River public meeting

NTP shared results of SAN trimer studies, which found no carcinogenicity, with residents near the Toms River Superfund site in New Jersey.

Linking high-throughput data to human exposures

More than 250 viewers learned about methods to extrapolate in vitro data to in vivo dose levels in a Jan. 27 NICEATM webinar.

NIEHS fellow to receive achievement award at upcoming SOT conference

Erin Quist, D.V.M., will receive the Roger O. McClellan Student Award for her proposed presentation at the 2015 Society of Toxicology conference in March.

April

NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods

NICEATM participated in several events including a workshop on inhaled nanomaterials testing, SOT, an ICCVAM public forum, and presented on skin sensitization at OpenTox USA.

New method will reduce animal use in pertussis vaccine testing

Workshop participants agreed on a new test method that reduces animal use in pertussis vaccine testing and proposed a plan for international adoption.

Toxicology and public health merge at SOT conference in San Diego

NIEHS and NTP scientists joined thousands at the 2015 Society of Toxicology conference, discussing cutting-edge research and the NIH grants process.

NIEHS recruiting volunteers for new study on black cohosh

Women in the Triangle area of North Carolina who take black cohosh can take part in an important study on its health effects.

GEMS spring meeting to feature NIEHS scientists and grantees

The April 27 meeting will explore “Understanding How Genetic Variation Modifies Responses to Environmental Exposures.”

Symposium strengthens efforts to ensure replacement chemicals are safer

The March 5-6 International Symposium on Alternatives Assessment helped advance the field of alternatives assessment.

NTP hosts regional meeting to highlight juvenile toxicology

The Society of Toxicologic Pathology brought speakers from academia, research organizations, and government to share expertise in juvenile toxicology.

May

ICCVAM public forum

The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) will hold a public forum on Wednesday, May 27, to share information and facilitate direct communication with interested stakeholders.

June

GEMS meeting showcases new genetic research funded by NIEHS

The Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis Society April 27 meeting explored how genetic variation shapes host response, featuring NIEHS researchers and grantees.

Expert panel identifies research needs on high folic acid intake

NTP and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements asked scientists to determine research needs related to health effects of high folic acid levels.

July - December 2015

July

NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM)

NICEATM supports EPA high-throughput assay plan, attends Korean Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods meeting, and participates in stem cell workshop.

NIH updates solicitation for small business grant applications

Tox21 research interests have been added to SBIR/STTR grant applications.

Tox21 tools promoted at UC Davis meeting

A delegation of scientists from NIEHS and NTP promoted high throughput screening tools at a meeting June 18-19 at the University of California, Davis.

Public forum highlights progress on replacing animals used in safety testing

Federal agencies shared progress and answered questions on finding alternatives to using animals in product safety testing at the May 27 event.

NTP completes chemical spill studies, finds water advisory level protective

NTP studies may reassure West Virginia residents impacted by a chemical spill that there is very little reason for concern about long-term health effects.

New data tools top the agenda at NTP board meeting

New and maturing tools to aid the systematic review process and overall NTP research efforts took center stage at the June 16 NTP Board of Scientific Counselors meeting.

NTP toxicologist Nigel Walker, Ph.D., earns prestigious award

Walker’s contributions were recognized with the Herbert E. Stokinger Award from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.

August

Groundbreaking EPA testing plan builds on NTP work to replace animal use

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed replacing certain animal tests with methods developed in part by NTP scientists.

Environmental influences on breast cancer risk — the evidence mounts

NTP researcher Sue Fenton, Ph.D., focused a special issue of Reproductive Toxicology on environmental impacts on breast development and disease.

NTP panel agrees flame retardant mixture exhibits carcinogenic activity

The peer reviewers accepted NTP draft conclusions that a PBDE mixture showed clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in rats and mice.

Scientific experts agree with NTP about cobalt and cancer

A panel of experts agreed with the National Toxicology Program that a class of cobalt and cobalt compounds is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

NIH seeks planning input

NIH has issued a Request for Information as it seeks feedback on a new strategic plan framework.

Help document NIEHS history

In preparation for its 50th anniversary next year, the institute requests nominations of notable accomplishments and the people behind them.

September

NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods

NICEATM collaborates to develop international reference chemical list for alternative methods testing, and will give a talk and present 3 posters at the September ASCCT meeting.

DREAM challenge results published in Nature Biotechnology

An innovative crowdsourcing challenge launched by NIEHS and partners in 2013 has come full circle with publication in Nature Biotechnology.

Kidney toxicity screening tool developed by grantee and NTP team

Researchers including NIEHS grantees and NTP scientists developed the first method to test for kidney toxicity using high throughput screening.

EHP welcomes new editor in chief

NIEHS welcomed Sally Perreault Darney, Ph.D., as the new editor in chief of Environmental Health Perspectives, on Aug. 24.

October

NICEATM co-organizes workshop on alternatives to acute toxicity testing

A workshop on alternative approaches for identifying acute systemic toxicity was held on September 24-25.

Advisory committee on alternatives to animal testing looks forward

At its yearly meeting, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods discussed recent progress toward alternatives to animal testing.

New children’s health research projects funded by NIH

New National Institutes of Health funding will support research on how environmental exposures affect a child’s health and development.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, NIEHS joins U.S. efforts to raise awareness and highlight research to help fight the disease.

November

NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods

NICEATM publishes a database of rodent estrogenic bioactivity, and presents a webinar series and workshop

President’s task force recommits to children’s environmental health

The President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children reviewed progress and recommitted to achieving goals.

Roadmap for replacing rodents in acute toxicity tests

Government, academic, and industry representatives moved forward with methods to reduce use of rodents in acute toxicity tests.

Variability among individuals spurs decision makers

An NIEHS and National Academy of Sciences workshop addressed the role of interindividual variability in the regulation of pollutants.

December

NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods

NICEATM participated in several national and international events this fall including an adverse outcome pathway workshop, a read-across workshop, and an ICATM meeting.

NIEHS Science Days offers insights on inflammation

Attendees at the 2015 NIEHS Science Days were treated to a minisymposium on connections between inflammation and disease.

Quist wins young investigator award

The poster by research fellow Erin Quist, already an award-winning scientist, won a blue ribbon at the Society of Toxicological Pathology meeting.

Toxicologists explore mouse versus man, award postdoc researchers

The North Carolina Society of Toxicology fall meeting, “Mouse vs. Man," examined species differences and similarities in toxicological research.

NTP highlights new technologies to protect health and environment

At the FutureToxIII meeting, National Toxicology Program scientists and others assessed how new technologies apply to chemical safety testing.

Generation Public Health takes over Chicago meeting

Creating the healthiest nation in one generation was a key theme of the American Public Health Association meeting in Chicago.

Three NIEHS Scholars Connect students win travel awards

Three Scholars Connect participants won travel funding to attend the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Seattle.