Toxico-Logic

Graphic: Cathleen Heard Because most drugs undergo development and approval for seven to 10 years before coming to market, researchers are always looking for ways to speed the process. Preclinical drug testing involves both in vitro and animal assays that assess efficacy and potential side effects to predict how the agent will affect humans. Drug toxicity can result in such things as cancer and birth defects, so government agencies have set forth strict guidelines for toxicological testing. In p

| 12 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
12:00
Share

Graphic: Cathleen Heard

Because most drugs undergo development and approval for seven to 10 years before coming to market, researchers are always looking for ways to speed the process. Preclinical drug testing involves both in vitro and animal assays that assess efficacy and potential side effects to predict how the agent will affect humans. Drug toxicity can result in such things as cancer and birth defects, so government agencies have set forth strict guidelines for toxicological testing. In part because it is highly proscribed, toxicology has been slow to incorporate innovations. However, its almost ritualistic approaches are beginning to change, and cutting-edge technologies are being applied. This is good news for patients and pharmaceutical companies, who can expect more rapid drug discovery and safer drugs.

Some nongenotoxic compounds can become genotoxic following metabolic processing by the body. When an organism encounters an unnatural substance, referred to as a xenobiotic agent, ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Amy Francis

    This person does not yet have a bio.

Published In

Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo
New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

Sino

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio 
Zymo Research

Zymo Research Launches Microbiome Grant to Support Innovation in Microbial Sciences