Skin sensitising substances which induce contact allergy and consequently risk elicitation of the disease allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) remain an important focus regarding the replacement of animal experimentation. Current in vivo methods, notably the local lymph node assay (LLNA) refined and reduced animal usage and led to a step change improvement in hazard identification, characterisation and risk assessment. Since validation, regulatory confidence in the LLNA approach has evolved until it became the first choice assay in most regulated sectors. Currently, hazard identification using the LLNA is being actively replaced by a toolbox of non-animal approaches. However, there remains a need to increase confidence in the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) as replacements for LLNA sensitiser potency estimation. The EPAA Partners Forum exchanged the current state of knowledge on use of NAMs in various industry sectors and regulatory environments. They then debated current challenges in this area and noted several ongoing needs. These included a requirement for reference standards for potency, better characterisation of applicability domains/technical limitations of NAMs, development of a framework for weight of evidence assessments, and an increased confidence in the characterization of non-sensitisers. Finally, exploration of an industry/regulator cross-sector user-forum on skin sensitisation was recommended.

BASKETTER David;  BEKEN Sonja;  BENDER Hans;  BRIDGES Jim;  CASATI Silvia;  CORVARO Marco;  CUVELLIER Sarah;  HUBESCH Bruno;  IRIZAR Amaia;  JACOBS Miriam;  KERN Petra;  LAMPLMAIR Franz;  MANOU Irene;  MULLER Boris P.;  ROGGEBAND Rob;  ROSSI Laura; 

2022-03-28

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

JRC120560

0273-2300 (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230020301938,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC120560,   

10.1016/j.yrtph.2020.104767 (online),