This second edition volume expands on the previous edition by exploring the latest advancements in high throughput screening (HTS) in toxicity studies by using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. This volume also covers the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science to curate, manage, and use HTS data. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and thorough, High Throughput Screening Assays in Modern Toxicology, Second Edition is a valuable resource for scientists pursuing chemical toxicology research. This book will aid scientists and researchers in translating new HTS techniques into standardized chemical toxicology assessment tools that can refine, reduce, and replace animal testing.

Advances in molecular biology and toxicology are paving the way for major improvements in the evaluation of the hazards posed by the large number of chemicals found at low levels in the environment. The National Research Council was asked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review the state of the science and create a far-reaching vision for the future of toxicity testing. The book finds that developing, improving, and validating new laboratory tools based on recent scientific advances could significantly improve our ability to understand the hazards and risks posed by chemicals. This new knowledge would lead to much more informed environmental regulations and dramatically reduce the need for animal testing because the new tests would be based on human cells and cell components. Substantial scientific efforts and resources will be required to leverage these new technologies to realize the vision, but the result will be a more efficient, informative and less costly system for assessing the hazards posed by industrial chemicals and pesticides.

The new field of toxicogenomics presents a potentially powerful set of tools to better understand the health effects of exposures to toxicants in the environment. At the request of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Research Council assembled a committee to identify the benefits of toxicogenomics, the challenges to achieving them, and potential approaches to overcoming such challenges. The report concludes that realizing the potential of toxicogenomics to improve public health decisions will require a concerted effort to generate data, make use of existing data, and study data in new waysâ€"an effort requiring funding, interagency coordination, and data management strategies.

This book provides comprehensive information on the alternative (non-animal) dermal toxicity test methods currently available for industrial, regulatory, and academic use and also explores potential future developments. It encompasses all areas of dermal toxicity, including skin irritation, skin corrosion, skin sensitization, UV-induced effects, and skin genotoxicity. An individual chapter is devoted to each test method, with coverage of the scientific basis, validation status and regulatory acceptance, applications and limitations, available protocols, and potential role within testing strategies. In addition, perspectives from the test developer are presented, for example regarding critical steps in the protocol. The closing section addresses areas that may be of relevance for the future of dermal toxicity safety testing, including the validation and regulatory acceptance of integrated testing strategies, novel complex skin models, and high-throughput screening techniques.

Backed by leading authorities, this is a professional guide to successful compound screening in pharmaceutical research and chemical biology, including the chemoinformatic tools needed for correct data evaluation. Chapter authors from leading pharmaceutical companies as well as from Harvard University discuss such factors as chemical genetics, binding, cell-based and biochemical assays, the efficient use of compound libraries and data mining using cell-based assay results. For both academics and professionals in the pharma and biotech industries working on small molecule screening.

Nationally, toxicology programs have evolved from a traditional exploration of the chemistry and applied toxicity of chemicals and drugs to a more comprehensive study of toxicology and toxicology testing as independent entities. Consequently, the second edition of Principles of Toxicology Testing starts with basic toxicological principles, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of toxins, including chemicals and drugs. The book then continues with animal (in vivo) and in vitro toxicology testing methods associated with toxicological analysis and preclinical drug development. As in the first edition, the book begins with an introduction into the fundamentals of toxicology (Section I) to prepare readers for the subsequent topics and continues through with a discussion of toxicokinetics and human risk assessment. This introductory material is useful in understanding the applications of toxicology testing. Section II describes the fundamental principles of toxicology testing in animals in greater detail. This section describes acute toxicity studies as well as subchronic and chronic studies performed on animals. Special emphasis is placed on study design and determination of classical indicators for acute and chronic testing, such as the LD50. The book examines other short- and long-term animal toxicity testing methodologies, including dermal, ocular, and reproductive toxicity testing. In addition, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity studies are also discussed in separate chapters. Section III introduces and discusses in vitro alternatives to animal toxicology tests. This section emphasizes cell culture methodology and cellular methods for acute systemic toxicity, target organ toxicity, and local toxicity. The contributors present the advantages and disadvantages of alternative methods. They also describe the use of high-throughput screening and its applications, the concepts of standardization and validation of in vitro techniques (especially large, organized validation efforts currently supported by US and EU regulatory agencies), and the theories supporting the development of in vitro methodologies. This second edition is a must-read for undergraduate and graduate toxicology students. Industrial and academic research centers will also find the text useful for establishing a toxicology testing laboratory.

Molecular Toxicology is the first volume of a three-volume set Molecular, Clinical and Environmental Toxicology that offers a comprehensive and in-depth response to the increasing importance and abundance of chemicals in daily life. By providing intriguing insights far down to the molecular level, this work covers the entire range of modern toxicology with special emphasis on recent developments and achievements. It is written for students and professionals in medicine, science, public health and engineering who are demanding reliable information on toxic or potentially harmful agents and their adverse effects on the human body.