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 2010 scientific themes listed here illustrate the core contributions toxicology makes to these areas, as well as lists the sessions that will be highlighted within these themes.

Cell Signaling Theme

Cell signaling encompasses the broad range of pathways involved in how cells detect and respond to external stimuli and communicate with other cells. Key cellular responses regulated by cell signaling include cell death, differentiation, and cell motility. Understanding the contribution of cell signaling pathways to toxicity is often key to determining mechanisms of toxicity or the pathogenesis of biological responses elicited by chemicals or pharmaceuticals. Sessions in this theme highlight mechanistic roles for cell signaling pathways in toxic responses and disease pathogenesis.

• Alterations in Regulatory T Cells: Novel Pathways to Immunotoxicology—Symposium Session
• It's Not Your Father's Aryl-Hydrocarbon Receptor: New Biological Roles for a Misunderstood Receptor—Symposium Session
• MAP Kinase Signaling: A Common Target in Different Tissues—Symposium Session
• TRPing the Sensor: The Role of TRP Channel Signaling in Cardiopulmonary Toxicity—Symposium Session
• ‘Omics Profiling of Cell and Tissue Interactions of Nanomaterials: Insight into Mechanisms of Action—Workshop Session
• Systems Biology Approaches to Understanding Cell Signaling in Dermal and Ocular Toxicology—Workshop Session

Gene-Environment Interactions Theme

It is clear that disease susceptibility cannot be attributed only to variations in the human genome. The environment is major among the additional variables that define individual susceptibility to disease. A more precise determination of the influence of environmental exposures within a given genetic background on disease processes will be required to significantly improve the ability to predict, detect, treat, and monitor disease progression and disease response. The Gene-Environment Interaction theme has been selected to highlight recent advances in this field that are relevant to the toxicological sciences.

• Genetics: The Link between Exposures, Gene x Environment Interaction, and Toxicity—Symposium Session

Metabolic Disease Theme

Metabolic dysfunction, either acquired or inherited, affects biochemical reactions resulting in metabolic diseases. The incidence of acquired  metabolic diseases is rising at an alarming rate. Perturbation of lipid and glucose metabolic pathways increases the risk of developing a number of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. While genetic variability plays a role in individual susceptibility, environmental agents, drugs, and other toxicants are contributing factors. This theme will focus on the mechanistic changes in glucose and lipid metabolism induced by toxicants and the relationship to disease progression.

• Metabolic Syndrome and Increased Sensitivity to Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI): Nonclinical Models and Clinical Implications—Symposium Session
• Recent Knowledge of Critical Regulators of Lipid Homeostasis in Metabolic Disease—Symposium Session
• Signaling Mechanisms for Metabolic Dysfunction Following Low Level Arsenic Exposures: From Mouse to Man—Symposium Session
• Zinc, Copper, and Their Metabolic Effect: Myths and Musts—Symposium Session

Mitochondrial Basis of Disease Theme

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been found to be an important component in the progression of numerous human disease states. In addition, the mitochondrial genome is susceptible to oxidative stress and mutation due to the high percentage of coding DNA and its small size. Therefore, the mitochondria are a suspected target organelle of xenobiotics in different model organisms. This thematic area will highlight studies that evaluate the effect of xenobiotic exposure on mitochondrial function and the connection to the progression of disease.

• Mitochondrial Toxicity in Disease and Death—Symposium Session
• Molecular Determinants of Mitochondrial Disease—Symposium Session

Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century Theme

The NRC’s 2007 report “Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-first Century: A Vision and a Strategy” articulated the critical need for development and validation of predictive high-throughput assays to replace current expensive and time-consuming animal tests. This theme includes applications of genomics and in vitro tests to identify pathways of toxicity and methods for using advanced computer power that make it feasible to analyze large volumes of complex data and use common data platforms to link existing and new exposure and effects databases.

• High-Throughput Electrophysiology—21st Century Toxicity Testing Approaches with Functional Outcomes—Workshop Session
• Opportunities to Modify Current Regulatory Testing Guidelines and Advance the Assessment of Carcinogenicity Risk in the 21st Century—Workshop Session
• Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century for Ecotoxicology—Workshop Session
• Toxicology in the 21st Century: Stem Cells in Drug Discovery and Development—Workshop Session
• Human Hepatocytes Derived from Embryonic Stem Cells: A New Tool for In Vitro Toxicity Testing—Informational Session
• The Tox21st Community and the Future of Toxicology Testing—Informational Session

Translational Toxicology Theme

In most settings, translational science is described by the term “Bench to Bedside.” Translational Toxicology can be described as the transition of basic toxicology related-research into strategies to improve the performance of the science of toxicology. Thus, translational toxicology may be best described by the term “discovery to application.” Sessions involving the translation of fundamental mechanistic observations into bioassays, biological models and other novel approaches that can be applied to toxicology research, and studies that describe the supporting biologic or mechanistic qualification of endpoints and detailed assay validation are highlighted in this theme.

• Anti-Drug Antibody-Mediated Toxicity in Nonclinical Toxicity Studies: Impact and Relevance to Human Safety—Symposium Session
• Humanized Models in Toxicology and Their Application to Hazard Characterization and Risk Assessment—Workshop Session
• Low-Dose Linearity from Interaction of Agents with Background Disease Causes: A Conversation About Statistical and Toxicological Principles—Workshop Session
• Novel Research Approaches, Animal Models, and Clinical Examples in Translational Toxicology—Workshop Session
• Translation of Nonclinical Models to Clinical Risk Management Strategies of Severe Infectious Diseases with Immunomodulatory Drugs—Workshop Session
• Can Animal Neurotoxicity Predict Human Dysfunction?—Roundtable Session
• The Ying and Yang of Immunomodulatory Biopharmaceuticals: What Have We Learned since MABEL and How Close Are We to the Clinical Dose?—Roundtable Session
• Translating Toxicology to Public Health Protection: Lessons Learned from Superfund—Historical Highlights
• Measuring Immune Responses in Monkeys for Drug Development: Opportunities and Challenges for Predicting Human Efficacy and Immunotoxicity—Informational Session