2017 Lush Science Prize

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-207
Author(s):  
Jenny McCann ◽  
Terry McCann
Keyword(s):  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Safety Testing ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Animal Replacement ◽  
Annual Fund

Now in its sixth year, the Lush Prize supports animal-free testing by awarding money prizes of up to £350,000 to the most effective projects and individuals who have been working towards the goal of replacing animals in product or ingredient safety testing. Prizes are awarded for developments in five strategic areas: Science; Lobbying; Training; Public Awareness; and Young Researchers. In the event of a major breakthrough leading to the replacement of animal tests in the area of 21st Century Toxicology, a Black Box Prize (equivalent to the entire annual fund) is awarded. The Science Prize is awarded to the researchers whose work the judging panel believe has made the most significant contribution to the replacement of animal testing in the preceding year. This Background Paper outlines the research projects that were shortlisted and presented to the judging panel as potential candidates for the 2017 Lush Science Prize. This process involved reviewing recent work of the relevant scientific institutions and projects in this area, such as the OECD, Human Toxome Project, UK NC3Rs, US Tox21 programme, ToxCast programme and the Human Toxicology Project Consortium. Recent developments in toxicity testing research were also identified by searching for relevant published papers in the literature, and analysing abstracts from conferences focusing on animal replacement in toxicity testing that had been held in the preceding 12 months — for example, the 2016 EUSAAT-Linz conference and the 2017 Society of Toxicology annual conference.

2018 Lush Science Prize

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 18S-25S
Author(s):  
Jenny McCann ◽  
Terry McCann
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Adverse Outcome Pathway ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Safety Testing ◽  
Animal Replacement

The Lush Prize supports animal-free testing by awarding money prizes of up to £350,000 per year to the most effective projects and individuals who have been working towards the goal of replacing animals in product or ingredient safety testing. Since its inception in 2012, the Lush Prize has distributed almost £2 million. Prizes are awarded for developments in five strategic areas: Science; Lobbying; Training; Public Awareness; and Young Researchers. In 2015, the judges also awarded a Black Box prize for the development of the skin sensitisation Adverse Outcome Pathway and its associated in vitro assays. The Science Prize is awarded to researchers whose work the judging panel believe to have made the most significant contribution, in the preceding year, to the replacement of animal testing. This 2018 Science Background paper outlines the research projects that were presented to the Prize judges as potential candidates for the 2018 Lush Science Prize award. To obtain an overview of developments in the field of animal replacement in toxicity research, recent work by the relevant scientific institutions and projects in this area, including the OECD, CAAT, ECVAM, UK NC3Rs, US Tox21 Programme, the ToxCast programme and EU-ToxRisk, was reviewed. Recent developments in toxicity testing research were investigated by searching the relevant literature. Abstracts from conferences focusing on animal replacement in toxicity testing that were held in the preceding 12 months, were also analysed, including those from the 2017 10th World Congress on Alternatives and Animals in the Life Sciences and the 2018 Society of Toxicology annual conference.

The Use of Biomarkers as Alternatives to Current Animal Tests on Food Chemicals

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-480
Author(s):  
Krys Bottrill
Keyword(s):  
Animal Studies ◽  
Developmental Toxicity ◽  
Reproductive Toxicity ◽  
In Vitro Test ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Dietary Biomarkers ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Mechanistic Basis ◽  
The Three Rs

Recent developments in biomarkers relating to the interrelationship of diet, disease and health were surveyed. Most emphasis was placed on biomarkers of deleterious effects, since these are of greatest relevance to the subject of this review. The area of greatest activity was found to be that relating to biomarkers of mutagenic, genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. This is also one of the major areas of concern in considerations of the beneficial and deleterious effects of dietary components, and also the area in which regulatory testing requires studies of the longest duration. A degree of progress has also been made in the identification and development of biomarkers relating to certain classes of target organ toxicity. Biomarkers for other types of toxicity, such as immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity and developmental toxicity, are less developed, and further investigation in these areas is required before a comprehensive biomarker strategy can be established. A criticism that recurs constantly in the biomarker literature is the lack of standardisation in the methods used, and the lack of reference standards for the purposes of validation and quality control. It is encouraging to note the growing acknowledgement of the need for validation of biomarkers and biomarker assays. Some validation studies have already been initiated. This review puts forward proposals for criteria to be used in biomarker validation. More discussion on this subject is required. It is concluded that the use of biomarkers can, in some cases, facilitate the implementation of the Three Rs with respect to the testing of food chemicals and studies on the effects of diet on health. The greatest potential is seen to be in the refinement of animal testing, in which biomarkers could serve as early and sensitive endpoints, in order to reduce the duration of the studies and also reduce the number of animals required. Biomarkers could also contribute to establishing a mechanistic basis for in vitro test systems and to facilitating their validation and acceptance. Finally, the increased information that could result from the incorporation of biomarker determinations into population studies could reduce the need for supplementary animal studies. This review makes a number of recommendations concerning the prioritisation of future activities on dietary biomarkers in relation to the Three Rs. It is emphasised, however, that further discussions will be required among toxicologists, epidemiologists and others researching the relationship between diet and health.

scholarly journals Single-Cell Analysis Reveals that Chronic Silver Nanoparticle Exposure Induces Cell Division Defects in Human Epithelial Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 2061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen B. Garcia ◽  
Cynthia Alms ◽  
Albert W. Hinman ◽  
Conor Kelly ◽  
Adam Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Single Cell Analysis ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Chemical Safety ◽  
Safety Testing ◽  
Human Epithelial Cells ◽  
Important Addition ◽  
Short And Long Term

Multiple organizations have urged a paradigm shift from traditional, whole animal, chemical safety testing to alternative methods. Although these forward-looking methods exist for risk assessment and predication, animal testing is still the preferred method and will remain so until more robust cellular and computational methods are established. To meet this need, we aimed to develop a new, cell division-focused approach based on the idea that defective cell division may be a better predictor of risk than traditional measurements. To develop such an approach, we investigated the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on human epithelial cells. AgNPs are the type of nanoparticle most widely employed in consumer and medical products, yet toxicity reports are still confounding. Cells were exposed to a range of AgNP doses for both short- and-long term exposure times. The analysis of treated cell populations identified an effect on cell division and the emergence of abnormal nuclear morphologies, including micronuclei and binucleated cells. Overall, our results indicate that AgNPs impair cell division, not only further confirming toxicity to human cells, but also highlighting the propagation of adverse phenotypes within the cell population. Furthermore, this work illustrates that cell division-based analysis will be an important addition to future toxicology studies.

Integrated Decision-tree Testing Strategies for Environmental Toxicity with Respect to the Requirements of the EU REACH Legislation

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 29-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Grindon ◽  
Robert Combes ◽  
Mark T.D. Cronin ◽  
David W. Roberts ◽  
John F. Garrod
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Decision Tree ◽  
Aquatic Toxicity ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Threshold Concentration ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Testing Strategies

Liverpool John Moores University and FRAME recently conducted a research project sponsored by Defra on the status of alternatives to animal testing with regard to the European Union REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) system for safety testing and risk assessment of chemicals. The project covered all the main toxicity endpoints associated with the REACH system. This paper focuses on the prospects for using alternative methods (both in vitro and in silico) for environmental (aquatic) toxicity testing. The manuscript reviews tests based on fish cells and cell lines, fish embryos, lower organisms, and the many expert systems and QSARs for aquatic toxicity testing. Ways in which reduction and refinement measures can be used are also discussed, including the Upper Threshold Concentration — Step Down (UTC) approach, which has recently been retrospectively validated by ECVAM and subsequently endorsed by the ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC). It is hoped that the application of this approach could reduce the number of fish used in acute toxicity studies by around 65–70%. Decision-tree style integrated testing strategies are also proposed for acute aquatic toxicity and chronic toxicity (including bioaccumulation), followed by a number of recommendations for the future facilitation of aquatic toxicity testing with respect to environmental risk assessment.

The Development of Behaviour Therapy in Australia

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syd H. Lovibond
Keyword(s):  
Social History ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Behaviour Modification ◽  
The Social ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Usa ◽  
History Of ◽  
Number Of Individuals

In his address to the Annual Conference of the Australian Behaviour Modification Association in 1986, Dr. Robin Winkler chose the topic “The social history of behaviour modification in Australia” (Winkler & Krasner, 1987). Dr. Winkler was concerned to recognise the contributions of a number of individuals who were prominent in the new movement in the 50s, 60s and 70s. My aim is rather different. I want to try to capture what the early workers were trying to achieve, what they saw as the problems, and how they viewed the early developments. I will then look at more recent developments in Australian behaviour therapy, and try to characterise its current status. Finally, I'll discuss what seem to me the major current problems, and suggest some possible solutions. Where I feel able to do so, and it seems to me appropriate, I'll make some comparisons with the situation in the USA. Many of the more general points, of course, will be relevant to behaviour therapy in any country.

scholarly journals Zebrafish as an in vivo model for sustainable chemical design

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 6410-6430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela D. Noyes ◽  
Gloria R. Garcia ◽  
Robert L. Tanguay
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
In Vivo Model ◽  
Chemical Design ◽  
The Many ◽  
Persistent Contaminants

Heightened public awareness about the many thousands of chemicals in use and present as persistent contaminants in the environment has increased the demand for safer chemicals and more rigorous toxicity testing.

scholarly journals Commentary on ‘‘Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A vision and a Strategy’’

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F Phalen
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
In Vitro Testing ◽  
Chemical Toxicity ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
In Vitro Techniques ◽  
Human Monitoring ◽  
Animal Tests ◽  
In Silico Methods

Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy (NRC, 2007) presents a bold plan for chemical toxicity testing that replaces whole-animal tests with cell-culture, genetic, other in-vitro techniques, computational methods, and human monitoring. Although the proposed vision is eloquently described, and recent advances in in-vitro and in-silico methods are impressive, it is difficult believe that replacing in-vitro testing is either practical or wise. It is not clear that the toxicity-related events that occur in whole animals can be adequately replicated using the proposed methods. Protecting public health is a serious endeavor that should not be limited by denying animal testing. Toxicologists and regulators are encouraged to read the report, carefully consider its implications, and share their thoughts. The vision is for too important to ignore.

scholarly journals WHY DOES IT HAPPEN IN PHYSICS? OPINIONS OF EUROPEAN PHYSICISTS ON GENDER INEQUALITY

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-29
Author(s):  
Ewa Krzaklewska ◽  
Paulina Sekuła ◽  
Ewelina Ciaputa ◽  
Justyna Struzik
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Research Organisations ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Gender Equality Policy

The article aims to describe and analyse the opinions of European physicists as to the reasons for the overrepresentation of men in the discipline, as well as to supply some reflections on the barriers encountered by female physicists in their careers. The article is based on qualitative data  – 83 in-depth interviews with female and male physicists  – collected in 2016 and 2017 under the framework of the project “Gender Equality Network in European Research Area” (GENERA). The main reasons voiced by interviewees for the gender imbalance in physics are to be found ‘outside’ the scientific institutions themselves, namely the early processes of the socialisation of girls and boys, together with existing gender stereotypes. Other reasons are related to recent developments in academia linked to work organization and structural conditions  – precariousness, competitiveness, and the demand for mobility, but also to a masculinised working culture resulting in gender bias, as well as microaggressions and discrimination. In relation to recent studies showing that awareness of gender (in) equalities remains of crucial importance for structural/institutional change, the article reflects on the potential implications of the perception by physicists of the determinants of gender inequality for the implementation of gender equality policy in research organisations.

scholarly journals MSA forward: Memory studies moving onward and upward

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-94
Author(s):  
Hanna Teichler ◽  
Rebekah Vince
Keyword(s):  
Conference Report ◽  
Memory Studies ◽  
The Political ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Ethical Sensitivity ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Interactive Workshop ◽  
Looking Back

This article serves as both an état présent of emerging scholarship in the interdisiplinary field of Memory Studies and a conference report following the first MSA Forward interactive workshop which preceded the second annual conference of the Memory Studies Association (MSA) in December 2017. MSA Forward is the postgraduate arm of the Memory Studies Association and offers a platform for exchanging ideas amongst a cohort of emerging scholars engaging with recent developments in Memory Studies and interacting with key academics in the field. The idea of engagement, with its political undertone, draws attention to the political valence and ethical sensitivity of emerging research as evidenced in this article, which contends that if Memory Studies is to be moving forwards as well as looking back, then it is important for emerging scholars as well as established academics to be at the forefront of the field.

scholarly journals Nanotechnology as a Platform for the Development of Injectable Parenteral Formulations: A Comprehensive Review of the Know-Hows and State of the Art

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Shetab Boushehri ◽  
Dirk Dietrich ◽  
Alf Lamprecht
Keyword(s):  
Significant Contribution ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽  
Drug Solubility ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Fields Of Study ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Parenteral Formulations ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
External Stimuli

Within recent decades, the development of nanotechnology has made a significant contribution to the progress of various fields of study, including the domains of medical and pharmaceutical sciences. A substantially transformed arena within the context of the latter is the development and production of various injectable parenteral formulations. Indeed, recent decades have witnessed a rapid growth of the marketed and pipeline nanotechnology-based injectable products, which is a testimony to the remarkability of the aforementioned contribution. Adjunct to the ability of nanomaterials to deliver the incorporated payloads to many different targets of interest, nanotechnology has substantially assisted to the development of many further facets of the art. Such contributions include the enhancement of the drug solubility, development of long-acting locally and systemically injectable formulations, tuning the onset of the drug’s release through the endowment of sensitivity to various internal or external stimuli, as well as adjuvancy and immune activation, which is a desirable component for injectable vaccines and immunotherapeutic formulations. The current work seeks to provide a comprehensive review of all the abovementioned contributions, along with the most recent advances made within each domain. Furthermore, recent developments within the domains of passive and active targeting will be briefly debated.

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