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ATLA 17 131-132 1989 131 from a quantitative point of view, then long-term toxicity can be predicted. How we wish that this were true! I would have thought that instead of proliferating tests of doubtful value, those engaged in mutation research should look to new endpoints more specifically related to known mechanisms of cancer induction. To be fair to Dr Vos, he did caution against introducing tests for immunogenicity into the toxicological repertoire without careful validation. Kinetic monitoring during the course of toxicity studies is helpful; if the quantitative exposure of animals in toxicity studies is unknown, it is impossible to make valid interpretation or extrapolate the data to man. The benefits and the limitations of kinetic monitoring should have been spelled out and some attempt made to show how these data can be applied to RISK ASSESSMENT- THE COMMON long-term toxicity and reproductive studies. GROUND As a publicity and marketing exercise, the Proceedings of Life Science Symposium 9 symposium must have been an unqualified success; Editor-in-Chief: Colin N. Roberts it must have contributed to the bottom line of the Life Science Research, 1989 company's accounts and so to the Queen's Award xix + 185 pp. for export achievement, but the book's contribution ISBN 0 9514367 0 8 to the toxicological literature is limited. The stated purpose of the symposium was to search for the Risk Assessment is the proceedings of an common ground and reflect changes in attitudes International Safety Evaluation Symposium held concerning animal usage in research, particularly in Tokyo and sponsored by a contract research toxicology. !judge it to have failed on both counts. organisation. The speakers were drawn from If this is the common ground defined, then it is academia (mainly associated with government time we requisitioned the JCBs. regulatory committees), government (mainly regulators), and some from industry. The book is Ralph Heywood well illustrated, with many flattering photographs of the participants, but the text is somewhat disappointing. On the whole, the papers are a re hash of what is the generally accepted philosophy of toxicology as applied to chemical safety testing. The speakers are from the "establishment" of WORSE THAN THE DISEASE toxicology. It is not realistic to expect fireworks or Diana B. Dutton many new ideas from such people, but something Cambridge University Press, 1988 a little more stimulating could have been served xvi + 528 pp., £25.00 up. In the land where the saving of face and ISBN 0-521-34023-3 politeness is expected, I am not suggesting that they should have bitten the hand that fed them, The aim of this book is to examine, in an but a little snap would not have come amiss. interdisciplinary manner, the contradictions that The current formulated public policy for chemical arise in medicine between the development of safety assessment is to demand data from a series scientific and technical innovations, the various of routine in vitro and in vivo studies, from which positive and negative constraints on the application quantitative risk assessments are then made. This of these developments, and the social and ethical guarantees a steady supply of such assessments dilemmas that arise from this tension. The book and an equally steady supply of apologetics written limits itself mainly to the United States, but the by people such as myself. If these animal studies issues considered are of wider relevance. are to be demanded and carried out, it is reasonable An introductory preface and overview define the to require some assurance that such studies have issues that are examined in detail in the main part relevance to man. What we are required to do seems of the book. This section tends to be rather to me at times to be inexcusably foolish. The major repetitive and wordy, with minimal information problem with all animal studies is that we have and it may deter some readers from venturing failed to define our models. It is necessary to know further. differences that occur due to genetics, to The bulk of the book concerns itself with four environmental factors, and to those biological case studies, which are examined in detail as parameters which determine species susceptibility. representative of the types of problem that arise The papers skate over these issues; occasionally, in medical science and health policy. relevant questions pop up but they are not allowed The diethylstilboestrol story is used to trace the to ripple the calm. We are told the old stories. The effects of social climate, government policies and paper on mutagenicity concludes that if a battery professional attitudes on the development and use of appropriate short-term tests are used, with of a "wonder" drug which proved ultimately to have different genetic endpoints, and carefully evaluated drastic long-term consequences. Special attention
Alternatives to Laboratory Animals – SAGE
Published: Dec 1, 1989
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