Innovative non-animal testing strategies for reproductive toxicology: the contribution of Italian partners within the EU project ReProTect

• Published in: Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 429 - 444
• Main Authors: LORENZETTI, Stefano, ALTIERI, Ilaria, PACCHIEROTTI, Francesca, VILLANI, Paola, GALLI, Andrea, LAZZARI, Giovanna, LUCIANO, Alberto Maria, PAULESU, Luana, SPANO, Marcello, MANTOVANI, Alberto, ARABI, Sabina, BALDUZZI, Donatella, BECHI, Nicoletta, CORDELLI, Eugenia, GALLI, Cesare, IETTA, Francesca, MODINA, Silvia C, NARCISO, Laura
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Roma Istituto superiore di sanita 01-01-2011; Istituto Superiore di Sanità
• Subjects: Adult; Animal Testing Alternatives - trends; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; cellule germinali maschili e femminili; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; European Union; Female; Fertilization - drug effects; General aspects; Germ Cells - drug effects; Health Care Sciences & Services; Humans; Italy; Male; Medical sciences; metodi alternativi; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens - toxicity; Oocytes - drug effects; placenta; Placenta - drug effects; Pregnancy; Prevention and actions; prostata; Prostate - drug effects; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; REACH; Reproduction - drug effects; Research Design; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Toxicology - trends; Italy; Europe; Fetal membrane; Male; male and female germ cells; Germinal cell; Medical screening; Pregnancy; Medicine; REACH; Innovation; Reproduction; Toxicology; Placenta; Animal; alternative methods; Female; Alternative method; Strategy; Urogenital system; Prostate; placenta; prostate; metodi alternativi; prostata; cellule germinali maschili e femminili
• ISSN: 0021-2571; 2384-8553
• DOI: 10.4415/ANN_11_04_16

Reproductive toxicity, with its many targets and mechanisms, is a complex area of toxicology; thus, the screening and identification of reproductive toxicants is a main scientific challenge for the safety assessment of chemicals, including the European Regulation on Chemicals (REACH). Regulatory agencies recommend the implementation of the 3Rs principle (refinement, reduction, replacement) as well as of intelligent testing strategies, through the development of in vitro methods and the use of mechanistic information in the hazard identification and characterization steps of the risk assessment process. The EU Integrated Project ReProTect (6th Framework Programme) implemented an array of in vitro tests to study different building blocks of the mammalian reproductive cycle: methodological developments and results on male and female germ cells, prostate and placenta are presented.