Alternative methods for skin irritation testing: the current status : ECVAM skin irritation task force report 1

The ECVAM Skin Irritation Task Force was established in November 1996, primarily to prepare a report on the current status of the development and validation of alternative tests for skin irritation and corrosion and, in particular, to identify any appropriate non-animal tests for predicting human skin irritation which were sufficiently well-developed to warrant ECVAM supporting their prevalidation/validation. The task force based its discussions around the proposed testing strategy for skin irritation/corrosion emanating from an OECD workshop held in January 1996. The following have been reviewed: a) structure-activity and structure-property relationships for skin corrosion and irritation, b) the use of pH and acid/alkaline reserve measurements in predicting skin corrosivity; c) in vitro tests for skin corrosion; d) in vitro tests for skin irritation (keratinocyte cultures, organ cultures, and reconstituted human skin models), and e) human patch tests for skin irritation, It was apparent that, although several promising candidate in vitro tests for skin irritation (for example, reconstituted human skin methods, and human and animal skin organ culture methods) were under development and evaluation, a test protocol, a preliminary prediction model and supporting data on different types of chemicals were only available for a method employing EpiDerm™ . Thus, it is proposed that this EpiDerm test undergoes prevalidation during 1998. In addition, since it was felt preferable to be able to include other in vitro tests in such a prevalidation study, it is recommended that a "challenge" be set to anyone interested in taking part. This involves submitting data on ten test chemicals selected by the task force, obtained according to a standard protocol with a preliminary prediction model, for review by the task force by 31 May 1998

The CFTA evaluation of alternatives program: An evaluation of in vitro alternatives to the Draize primary eye irritation test. (Phase III) surfactant-based formulations

The CTFA Evaluation of Alternatives Program is an evaluation of the relationship between data from the Draize primary eye irritation test and comparable data from a selection of promising in vitro eye irritation tests. In Phase III, data from the Draize test and 41 in vitro endpoints on 25 representative surfactant-based personal care formulations were compared. As in Phase I and Phase II, regression modelling of the relationship between maximum average Draize score (MAS) and in vitro endpoint was the primary approach adopted for evaluating in vitro assay performance. The degree of confidence in prediction of MAS for a given in vitro endpoint is quantified in terms of the relative widths of prediction intervals constructed about the fitted regression curve. Prediction intervals reflect not only the error attributed to the model but also the material-specific components of variation in both the Draize and the in vitro assays. Among the in vitro assays selected for regression modelling in Phase III, the relationship between MAS and in vitro score was relatively well defined. The prediction bounds on MAS were most narrow for materials at the lower or upper end of the effective irritation range (MAS = 0-45), where variability in MAS was smallest. Thus, the confidence with which the MAS of surfactant-based formulations is predicted is greatest when MAS approaches zero or when MAS approaches 45 (no comment is made on prediction of MAS > 45 since extrapolation beyond the range of observed data is not possible). No single in vitro endpoint was found to exhibit relative superiority with regard to prediction of MAS. Variability associated with Draize test outcome (e.g. in MAS values) must be considered in any future comparisons of in vivo and in vitro test results if the purpose is to predict in vivo response using in vitro data

Variants in PHF8 cause a spectrum of X-linked neurodevelopmental disorders and facial dysmorphology

Loss-of-function variants in PHD Finger Protein 8 (PHF8) cause Siderius X-linked intellectual disability (ID) syndrome, hereafter called PHF8-XLID. PHF8 is a histone demethylase that is important for epigenetic regulation of gene expression. PHF8-XLID is an under-characterized disorder with only five previous reports describing different PHF8 predicted loss-of-function variants in eight individuals. Features of PHF8-XLID include ID and craniofacial dysmorphology. In this report we present 16 additional individuals with PHF8-XLID from 11 different families of diverse ancestry. We also present five individuals from four different families who have ID and a variant of unknown significance in PHF8 with no other explanatory variant in another gene. All affected individuals exhibited developmental delay and all but two had borderline to severe ID. Of the two who did not have ID, one had dyscalculia and the other had mild learning difficulties. Craniofacial findings such as hypertelorism, microcephaly, elongated face, ptosis, and mild facial asymmetry were found in some affected individuals. Orofacial clefting was seen in three individuals from our cohort, suggesting that this feature is less common than previously reported. Autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which were not previously emphasized in PHF8-XLID, were frequently observed in affected individuals. This series expands the clinical phenotype of this rare ID syndrome caused by loss of PHF8 function.Genetics of disease, diagnosis and treatmen