Alternative test methods in inhalation toxicology: Challenges and opportunities

In May 2007, a Congress of government, industry, and academic scientists met at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, on the subject of Alternative Test Methods in Inhalation Toxicology. The stimulus for the meeting arose from the European Union's (EU) recent implementation of the new REACH safety testing requirements for commercial chemicals and products. Attendees at the meeting presented a panoply of data and perspectives on the state of the science on alternative testing methods and how these might aid safety assessments of inhaled materials. The focus of many presentations was on the fundamental attributes of inhalation toxicology and how these are translated or otherwise addressed in alternative in vitro test methods. There was recognition of the needs and the potential for progress through collaboration, but there remains a clear need for continued discussion and proactive support to a broad-based comparative study. The present discussion provides one perspective of this complex issue and how the science community might collaborate to develop acceptable alternative approaches based in science that have utility in inhalation toxicological assessments.