Toxicology human research subjects

Phytochemicals have been the subject of many studies evaluating their effects in relation to common chronic human illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. These studies encounter difficulties in using this information to influence the dietary patterns of consumers because in the past they have used models or experiments with animals. However, in the last decade, researchers have moved away from animal studies in favour of human cell models or human intervention studies. Scientists still need to determine the likely incidence of illness from exposure to known amounts of a given natural compound in the diet and specifically in relation to the complex matrices of whole foods. Therefore, it is inevitable that some animal studies have to be continued for toxicological studies. 

The in-depth way the book covers the state of the art for mixture toxicology and ecotoxicology principles means it serves well as a textbook on the subject. At the same time, the inclusion of the considerations on application of novel developments in these principles, and their integration across human and environmental mixture risk assessment, makes it an ideal tool for researchers, regulators, and other risk assessment practitioners as mixture considerations start to enter regulatory forums over the next years. 

Toxicological Sciences, the official SOT journal, is distributed monthly in print and electronically. The journal publishes premier peer-reviewed, hypothesis-driven, original research articles that are broadly relevant to assessing the potentially adverse health effects resulting from exposure of humans or animals to chemicals, drugs, natural products, or synthetic materials. Studies may involve experimental animals or human subjects, or they may focus on in vitro methods or alternatives to the use of experimental animals. Sections include original research, reviews, forum articles on policy or research issues, editorials, letters to the editor, and supplementary data guidelines. 

Detailed studies performed during the last decades on the fate and levels of trace elements in various human organs, tissues and fluids of exposed and control subjects have become a major task in toxicological, clinical, epidemiological and environmental research. This constituted a major challenge for the development of new analytical methods in this field, as well as for the improvement of existing methods. 

The publication of the first edition has stimulated new research into the human toxicology of mixtures. It is my hope that this book will encourage others to investigate this subject matter. 

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