Non-animal tests

An important point made by the ECVAM is that these three aspects should not be considered as alternatives that could replace each other, but as parts of an integrated system which should lead to progress in the development of non-animal tests and testing strategies. 

ECVAM as part of the JRC fulfills the task to validate alternative methods. Its advisory group ES AC advises ECVAM scientifically and gives expert judgment on the different proposed non-animal tests. 

Endpoint Non-animal testing method V alidation/regulation... 

A coalition of animal protection organizations, led by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), proposed a completely non-animal testing strategy. They claimed that such a strategy, involving consideration of molecular structure, comparison with related compounds, tests on cell cultures and tests on human volunteers (for example for skin irritancy of substances not thought to be... 

Chapter 18 The Tiered Approach to Toxicity Assessment Based on the Integrated Use of Alternative (Non-animal) Tests Andrew P. Worth... 

Balls M, et al. Development and vahdation of non-animal tests and testing strategies The identification of a coordinated response to the challenge and the opportunity presented by the sixth amendment to the Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC). ECVAN workshop report 7, ATLA 1995 23 398-409. 

Worth AP. The tiered approach to toxicity assessment based on the integrated use of alternative (non-animal) tests. In Cronin MTD, Livingstone DJ, editors, Predicting chemical toxicity and fate. Boca Raton, FL CRC Press, 2004. p. 391 412. 

Nukada Y, Miyazawa M, Kazutoshi S, Sakaguchi H, Nishiyama N (2013) Data integration of non-animal tests for the development... 

On the other hand, skin sensitisation is a very complex biological process, involving a series of interrelated events, many of which are either not understood or only partially understood. Therefore, it is not surprising that at the time of writing, there are no validated non-animal tests for assessment of skin sensitisation potential. 

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