Toxicogenomics

The use of the evolving science of toxicogenomics and its accompanying tools are of great interest to risk assessors, and are being considered as potential ways to improve toxicology and risk methodologies, helping to elucidate the mechanism and mode of action of chemicals among other things.

Coordination and information exchange are initial priority activities, given the rate of emergence of this new issue and the scarcity of resources. The IPCS Secretariat is working collaboratively with the Secretariat of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Twin workshops were organized in 2003-2004 focusing on:

• the science and evidence-base for use of toxicogenomics in human health risk assessment (led by WHO) and issues of relevance to human health and linking with existing work on biomarkers, modes-of-action and ethical considerations; and
• the other on defining the needs and possible application of toxicogenomics in a regulatory context.

As a result of these two Workshops, the IPCS and OECD Secretariats are working collaboratively on a common plan of work focusing on:

• Molecular screening for characterizing individual chemicals and chemical categories;
• New Biomarkers; and
• Survey on the available Omic tools.

In the context of this workplan, an extended meeting of the IPCS/OECD advisory group will take place immediately after the 2007 US International Science Forum on 24 May 2007. The theme of the 2007 Science Forum is computational toxicology and so the extended Advisory Group meeting will discuss in particular, implementation of the Molecular Screening Project led by the US. The meeting will be open to representatives of public authorities, industry, labour, environmental NGOs, international organisations and experts involved with domestic programmes related to chemical prioritization, characterization and hazard identification.

:: For further information on the extended IPCS/OECD Advisory Group meeting, please send an e-mail message to either IPCS or OECD.