{"title":"New approach methodologies (NAMs) in drug safety assessment: A vision of the future","authors":"Ruth A. Roberts","doi":"10.1016/j.cotox.2024.100502","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Much progress has been made in reducing and refining animal use in toxicology testing, but progress in the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) to replace animals is disappointing. There are many highly sophisticated NAMs available, but societal, regulatory and political barriers to their implementation remain. Change requires vision, starting with imagining a future where we are successful. Specifically, this would comprise the registration of safe and effective medicines without animal tests. How do we achieve this vision? Thinking differently, in silico methods could be used to provide a detailed assessment of target- and modality-related toxicological risks, coupled with modelling of exposure. In vitro NAMs such as microphysiological systems, microelectrode array and ion channel panels could then be employed to address hypothetical risks. Finally, the safety of first time in human trials could be assessed and assured using circulating nanobots that measure conventional clinical pathology parameters alongside new biomarkers such as circulating tissue DNA. This may seem the stuff of fantasy, but imagination is key to shaping a better future and all change starts with a vision, however far-fetched it may seem today.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":93968,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in toxicology","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100502"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Current opinion in toxicology","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468202024000445","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Much progress has been made in reducing and refining animal use in toxicology testing, but progress in the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) to replace animals is disappointing. There are many highly sophisticated NAMs available, but societal, regulatory and political barriers to their implementation remain. Change requires vision, starting with imagining a future where we are successful. Specifically, this would comprise the registration of safe and effective medicines without animal tests. How do we achieve this vision? Thinking differently, in silico methods could be used to provide a detailed assessment of target- and modality-related toxicological risks, coupled with modelling of exposure. In vitro NAMs such as microphysiological systems, microelectrode array and ion channel panels could then be employed to address hypothetical risks. Finally, the safety of first time in human trials could be assessed and assured using circulating nanobots that measure conventional clinical pathology parameters alongside new biomarkers such as circulating tissue DNA. This may seem the stuff of fantasy, but imagination is key to shaping a better future and all change starts with a vision, however far-fetched it may seem today.
在减少和改进毒理学测试中的动物使用方面已经取得了很大进展,但在使用新方法(NAMs)替代动物方面的进展却令人失望。目前有许多非常先进的新方法,但社会、监管和政治方面的障碍依然存在。改变需要远见,首先要想象一个我们成功的未来。具体来说,这将包括无需动物试验即可注册安全有效的药物。我们该如何实现这一愿景?换个角度思考,可以使用硅学方法对目标和模式相关的毒理学风险进行详细评估,并建立暴露模型。然后,可以利用微生理学系统、微电极阵列和离子通道面板等体外 NAM 来应对假设风险。最后,可以使用循环纳米机器人来评估和确保首次人体试验的安全性,这种机器人可以测量传统的临床病理学参数以及新的生物标志物(如循环组织 DNA)。这似乎是天方夜谭,但想象力是创造美好未来的关键,所有变革都始于愿景,无论今天看来多么遥远。