Thematic Approach

The Scientific Program Committee has developed a slate of timely and highly informative symposia, workshops, roundtables, and other special sessions that span the spectrum of topics of interest to our diverse membership.

The 2009 scientific themes listed here illustrate the core contributions toxicology makes to these areas.

Biomarkers Theme

Biomarkers are generating excitement as a means of dissecting and understanding normal biological processes, measuring environmental exposures, predicting disease outcomes, and assessing beneficial or adverse responses to pharmacologic and therapeutic agents. As such, biomarkers have been invaluable to toxicologists as tools for investigating and predicting toxic responses. In addition, a large body of research from the toxicological sciences has contributed to the identification and validation of biomarkers at the molecular, biochemical, and cellular level. Sessions highlighting the many contributions of toxicology to biomarker research will be featured along with sessions highlighting new discoveries related to the identification, validation, and utilization of biomarkers to interrogate health and disease.

• Translation of Safety Biomarkers in Drug Discovery and Development—Continuing Education Course (AM07)
• Biomarkers: New Breakthoughs in the World of Air Pollution Studies—Symposia Session
• From Mechanisms to Biomarkers: Basic and Applied Metabolomics in Toxicology—Symposia Session
• Improved Safety Biomarkers for Monitoring Kidney Injury—Workshop Session
• Biomarkers of Cardiac Hypertrophy and Skeletal Muscle Toxicity—Successes and Challenges Related to Their Implementation in Drug Development—Roundtable Session
• NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative: Biomarkers and Biosensors for Detecting Response to Environmental Stress—Informational Session
• Novel Translational Safety Biomarkers and Safety First at the FDA—Informational Session
• Cellular and Biological Sources for Biomarkers—Platform Session
• Biomarker Discovery and Detection—Poster Session
• Biomonitoring and Exposure Assesment—Poster Session

Epigenetics Theme

Heritable DNA and chromatin modifications determine gene expression patterns and underlie important biological processes including development, X chromosome inactivation, imprinting, and gene silencing and transcription. Alterations induced in key epigenetic determinants including DNA methylation and histone modifications contribute to the adverse health effect of many toxicants, including endocrine disruptors, carcinogens and teratogens. The "epigenome" is now receiving interest comparable to that formerly focused on elucidating the genome of humans and other organisms. Because of the importance of epigenetics in health and disease and the many new and emerging technologies coming into use for studying epigenetics, this theme has been selected to highlight recent advances in epigenetic research for the toxicological sciences.

• Epigenetic Implications for Toxicology—Symposia Session
• Gene-Environment Interactions: Epigenetic Pathways in Chronic Disease Promotion and Progression—Symposia Session
• Genomic, Non-Genomic, and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Nuclear Hormone Receptor Action—Symposia Session
• Mammalian Retrotranspositional Elements: Epigenetic Regulation, Species Differences, and Potential Roles as Mediators of Cellular Responses to Toxic Stress—Symposia Session
• Transcriptional Changes in Immunotoxicology: Transcription Factors, Signal Transduction, and Epigenetics—Symposia Session
• Epigenetic Mechanisms of Xenobiotics—Platform Session
• Epigenetics—Poster Session

Inflammation and Disease Theme

While the inflammatory response plays an important role in the body's response to injury and infection, it also contributes to several acute and chronic diseases including nephritis, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. Inflammatory mediators such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytokines, and eicosanoids play key roles in these processes. Similarly, the acute-phase proteins such as glucocorticoids, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloids, have beneficial effects but can contribute to diseases such as heart disease and amyloidosis. These inflammatory responses also play a significant role in the adverse response of many organs following exposure to drugs and environmental agents. The important role of inflammation and inflammatory mediators as determinants of toxic responses and disease will be highlighted in sessions featured in this theme.

• Free Radicals for Toxicologists—From the Basics to Inflammation and Disease—Continuing Education Course (AM02/PM08)
• Nitrative and Oxidative Stress in Toxicology and Disease— Symposia Session
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Toxicant-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation—Symposia Session
• The Role of Inflammation during Metabolic Liver Disease and Drug-Induced Liver Toxicity: Novel Insights— Symposia Session
• Zinc, Inflammation, and Diabetes—Symposia Session
• Biomarkers for Assessing the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome in Toxicology Studies—Workshop Session
• Is There a Future for Animal Models in the Investigation of Idiosyncratic DILI in Humans?—Roundtable Session
• Immunoregulation and Toxicity—Platform Session
• Inflammation—Poster Session

Nanotechnology Theme

Nanomaterials are the building blocks for this promising new technology. These materials are currently being utilized in many diverse areas such as engineering, information technology, and diagnostics. Nanomaterials are now routinely produced and commercialized. Because little is known about their biology or the potential health impacts of these new products, these highlighted sessions will explore the potential implication(s) of their use.

• Aquatic Species as Sentinels for Human Health: Comparative Toxicology of Metals, Nanoparticles, and PCB’s— Symposia Session
• Nanotoxicology and Drug Delivery—Symposia Session
• Agglomeration Versus Dispersion: How Nanoparticle Behavior Affects Exposure and Toxicity In Vitro, In Vivo, and in the Real World—Workshop Session
• The Regulatory Frontier: Addressing Products of Nanotechnology—Roundtable Session
• The Use of Engineered Nanomaterials in Food and Food-Related Products: Is This a Concern for Human and Environmental Safety?—Roundtable Session
• Cardiopulmonary Toxicity of Inhaled Particles and Nanoparticles —Platform Session
• Mechanisms of Nanomaterial Toxicology—Platform Session
• Nanotoxicology In Vitro—Poster Session
• Nanotoxicology In Vivo—Poster Session
• Toxicology of Carbon Nanotubes—Poster Session

Neurodegenerative Disease Theme

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s are caused by loss of cells and/or cellular function in the brain. Dementias and movement disorders are becoming increasingly more common. These diseases often have a complex etiology and have been associated with genetic alterations, specific pathogens, alterations of normal physiological responses such as protein misfolding, and exposures to several environmental agents. The role of environmental agents, gene-environment interactions, early life exposures, and inflammatory mediators in the development of neurodegenerative disease, as well as elucidation of sequelae from acute toxic exposures to the onset of disease, will be highlighted in this theme as important areas of research for the toxicological sciences.

• Does Metal Toxicity Play a Role in the Etiology of Alzheimer’s Disease?—Symposia Session
• Novel Signaling Mechanisms That Regulate Dopaminergic Neuronal Survival or Death: Implications in Parkinson’s Disease—Symposia Session
• Pesticides and Parkinson’s Disease: Implications of New Epidemiology and Exposure Data to Risk Assessment— Workshop Session
• Devils Lie in the Details: Practices and Problems in Neuropathology—Significance for Neurotoxicology— Roundtable Session
• Hot Topics in Metal-Induced Neurodegeneration— Platform Session
• Neurotoxicity—Developmental—Poster Session
• Parkinson’s Disease—Poster Session