Translating Scientific Advances in the AOP Framework to Decision Making for Nanomaterials
Open Access
- 23 June 2020
- journal article
- review article
- Published by MDPI AG in Nanomaterials
- Vol. 10 (6), 1229
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061229
Abstract
Much of the current innovation in advanced materials is occurring at the nanoscale, specifically in manufactured nanomaterials (MNs). MNs display unique attributes and behaviors, and may be biologically and physically unique, making them valuable across a wide range of applications. However, as the number, diversity and complexity of MNs coming to market continue to grow, assessing their health and environmental risks with traditional animal testing approaches is too time- and cost-intensive to be practical, and is undesirable for ethical reasons. New approaches are needed that meet current requirements for regulatory risk assessment while reducing reliance on animal testing and enabling safer-by-design product development strategies to be implemented. The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework presents a sound model for the advancement of MN decision making. Yet, there are currently gaps in technical and policy aspects of AOPs that hinder the adoption and use for MN risk assessment and regulatory decision making. This review outlines the current status and next steps for the development and use of the AOP framework in decision making regarding the safety of MNs. Opportunities and challenges are identified concerning the advancement and adoption of AOPs as part of an integrated approach to testing and assessing (IATA) MNs, as are specific actions proposed to advance the development, use and acceptance of the AOP framework and associated testing strategies for MN risk assessment and decision making. The intention of this review is to reflect the views of a diversity of stakeholders including experts, researchers, policymakers, regulators, risk assessors and industry representatives on the current status, needs and requirements to facilitate the future use of AOPs in MN risk assessment. It incorporates the views and feedback of experts that participated in two workshops hosted as part of an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) project titled, “Advancing AOP Development for Nanomaterial Risk Assessment and Categorization”, as well as input from several EU-funded nanosafety research consortia.Keywords
Funding Information
- Horizon 2020 (686098; 760813; 731032)
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Adverse Outcome Pathway approach in nanotoxicologyComputational Toxicology, 2017
- Towards sensible toxicity testing for nanomaterials: proposal for the specification of test designScience and Technology of Advanced Materials, 2015
- Lung carcinogenicity of inhaled multi-walled carbon nanotube in ratsParticle and Fibre Toxicology, 2015
- Nano-risk Science: application of toxicogenomics in an adverse outcome pathway framework for risk assessment of multi-walled carbon nanotubesParticle and Fibre Toxicology, 2015
- Advanced computational modeling for in vitro nanomaterial dosimetryParticle and Fibre Toxicology, 2015
- Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Development I: Strategies and PrinciplesToxicological Sciences, 2014
- Defining Molecular Initiating Events in the Adverse Outcome Pathway Framework for Risk AssessmentChemical Research in Toxicology, 2014
- ITS-NANO - Prioritising nanosafety research to develop a stakeholder driven intelligent testing strategyParticle and Fibre Toxicology, 2014
- Adverse outcome pathways: A conceptual framework to support ecotoxicology research and risk assessmentEnvironmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2009
- Development ofin vitrosystems for nanotoxicology: methodological considerationsCritical Reviews in Toxicology, 2009