ToxChats©

Drs. Lisa Plitnick and Alan Stokes recently presented an ACT Signature Webinar titled “History and Risk Assessment of Vaccines: A Practical Perspective from an Immunologist and a Toxicologist.” In this podcast, Drs. Lisa Plitnick and Alan Stokes will continue to answer questions from the webinar audience including questions on vaccine development, nonclinical study design, dose selection and extrapolation, and DART requirements.

In this episode, Dr. Nicholas Ponzio, master educator and professor of pathology, immunology, and laboratory medicine at Rutgers University's New Jersey Medical School and School of Graduate Studies and co-founder of the Rutgers Science Communication Initiative was interviewed. Dr. Ponzio discusses how he and his colleagues teach budding scientists how to communicate their cutting-edge research involving complex topics including vaccine development for the COVID-19 virus, clearly, accurately, and understandably to both general and scientific audiences.

Dr. Thomas Hartung, is a professor at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing. Dr. Hartung discusses some of his innovative contributions to the field of toxicology including developing advanced computer modeling systems using big data analyzed by artificial intelligence used to predict toxicity of novel compounds. Dr. Hartung gives a general overview of these concepts, and his perspective on the future of predictive modeling to supplement current toxicology research strategies. Dr. Hartung also discusses the potential for predictive modeling to expedite drug development decisions and challenges faced with introducing these technologies to regulated industries.

In this episode, Dr. Doug Learn, Director of Toxicology at Charles River Safety Assessment in Horsham, Pennsylvania, was interviewed. Dr. Learn is considered an expert in the field of phototoxicity. In this podcast, Dr. Learn shares his experiences during the evolution of how phototoxicity became a specialty field of its own, what phototoxicity means for toxicologists in the regulatory and pharmaceutical world, and how this translates to the consumer.

In this interview, during the ACT 40th anniversary Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, plenary speaker Dr. Alessio Fasano highlights the exciting advancements and future outlooks of gastrointestinal (GI) tract health and medicine. Covering a range of topics from diet, microbiome, and personal medicine, this podcast provides detailed perspectives from one of the leading experts in the field.

In this episode, Dr. Armaghan Emami, a toxicologist with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the US FDA and 2019 award winner of Best Paper Published in International Journal of Toxicology for her first-author publication, "Toxicology Evaluation of Drugs Administered via Uncommon Routes: Intranasal, Intraocular, Intrathecal/Intraspinal, and Intra-Articular" was interviewed. Dr. Emami discusses her inspiration for the collaborative paper, key considerations for the design and interpretation of studies utilizing an uncommon route, and provides advice to fellow scientists looking to form a working group or collaborative publication.

Dr. Jacob Corn, ACT’s 2015 Plenary Lecturer, is a Professor of Genome Biology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. The Corn Laboratory develops next-generation genome editing and regulation technologies for fundamental biological discovery and to develop potential therapies for human genetic diseases. In this episode, he will describe how CRISPR may impact the treatment of rare diseases, while providing context for drug safety evaluation. Potential applications and ethical considerations for livestock and human organ development will be covered, in addition to primary concerns about the future of CRISPR. Dr. Corn will share what he considers to be the key milestones, greatest advancements, and unforeseen surprises in the evolution of CRISPR technologies.

In this two-chapter episode, in vitro and alternative models for regulatory submissions were explored from both an industry and government perspective. In the first chapter, Dr. Clive Roper, the head of In Vitro Sciences at Charles River Laboratories, and Dr. Lauren Black, a senior scientific advisor at Charles River Laboratories discuss the current landscape of in vitro and alternative models and share their thoughts about future directions of the field. In the second chapter, Dr. Paul Brown, the associate director of pharmacology and toxicology in the Office of New Drugs in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the US Food and Drug Administration, discusses the acceptance of in vitro models for safety evaluations and the value of integrative toxicology.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the American College of Toxicology. For the College’s policy on the ethical treatment of animals in research, please see our comprehensive policy statement at www.actox.org.

In this episode, Dr. Arianne Motter, a toxicologist with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the US Food and Drug Administration, discusses the complex regulation of e-cigarettes at the FDA and the issues that toxicologists face when evaluating the potential these products have to reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease. At the time of recording, Dr. Motter was a toxicologist with the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA.

In this episode of ToxChats, the opioid epidemic was discussed from a preclinical drug development perspective with Dr. Carrie Blum, Associate Director, Toxicology at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Mary Jeanne Kallman, VP and consultant at her own company Kallman Preclinical Consulting LLC.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the American College of Toxicology. For the College’s policy on the ethical treatment of animals in research, please see our comprehensive policy statement at www.actox.org.