Skin sensitization testing

Abstract

Predictive testing for skin sensitization has come a long way since the initial methods dating back to the first half of the last century. In the second half of that century, guinea pig methods began to give way to more quantitative and objective mouse method, the LLNA.33 From this change has evolved a way to measure the relative skin sensitizing potency of substances 90 and thence a new approach to skin sensitization risk assessment.47,98 Whilst none of these changes represent perfection,44 they have demonstrated the ability of toxicology, and even regulatory toxicology, to make positive progress in the direction of improving the protection of human health. As a consequence, it is a significant challenge for in vitro toxicology that it seeks to replace not only the in vivo methods, but to do so in a way that maintains the advances made during the last two decades. It is the case that a suite of in vitro methods for hazard identification are close to formal validation, but whether these methods, or others further back in development, can also deliver the quality of information for potency prediction remains an open question.