The Way Forward

Major considerations for progress in replacing animals in neurotoxicity testing include the following (ECVAM, 2002; Prieto, et al., 2005):

• Identification of the mechanisms of neurotoxicity that need to be represented in a test battery 
• Development of in vitro assays needed as part of a test battery that encompass relevant endpoints of neurotoxicity
• Validation of individual in vitro methods and a test battery

The degree of investment in research and development was identified as the major rate limiting step in generating non-animal alternatives for neurotoxicity testing.

For more on The Way Forward, read the following invited commentaries on neurotoxicity:

• Alternative Methods for Neurotoxicity by William Mundy
• Why In Vitro Neurotoxicity Approaches Are Not Formally Validated and Used for Regulatory Purposes: The Way Forward by Sandra Coecke & Anna Price
• Neurotoxicity: The Way Forward by Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni