Blanca Suarez-Merino (DPhil Biochemistry, Oxford, UK) is a toxicologist by training and was previously in charge of the Biotechnology Laboratory at Gaiker Technology Center (Spain), where she was leading several projects regarding in vitro testing to be used in regulatory/safety testing and functionality assessment of Pharma and Cosmetics products mostly under GLP conditions. Currently she runs her expertise in Switzerland as TEMAS AG head of Technology. Dr Suarez-Merino is the author to several publications in high impact journals, she works actively at different European Platforms regarding in vitro activities and has presented her achievements at OECD meetings and International Conferences. Currently she is adapting the OECD 442D guideline to nanomaterials in collaboration with the Federal Office of Public Health (Switzerland) as an OECD effort. Dr Suarez-Merino is also an active expert in the Swiss National Standards Body (SNV) under the Nanotechnologies group and at the Cosmetic Consultant Europe Association.
OpenTox Euro 2019 workshop: Alternatives session
Currently, there is no indication that nanomaterials will lead to other toxicological endpoints than those known for conventional materials. For this reason, the safety of nanomaterials falls under the same frameworks as the safety of chemicals. In Europe this is covered by the REACH, which requirements are being adapted to cover the particulars of the nanosize.
The workshop will describe the state of the art regarding alternative testing strategies to be used in safety assessment of nanomaterials in the context of human health. Key issues regarding metrics, realistic doses and exposure duration as well as physiological barrier crossing and relevant end points such as adaptation of genotoxicity protocols will be reviewed.
OpenTox Euro 2019 session 7 overview: Current trends in safety assessment of cosmetic products
The safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients generally involves a stepwise approach which utilizes the lates strategies to address regulatory demands. In Europe, the latest Regulation on Cosmetics Products (EC 1223/2009) initially posed a challenge to manufacturers due to the difficulties generated from moving from in vivo to in vitro testing in safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients and finished products. Currently, however, this ban turns into an opportunity to develop novel, alternative methodologies and, at present, the cosmetic industry is benefiting from the development of high throughput, cost effective approaches to in vivo experimentation. One of the newest forms of in vitro testing that the cosmetic industry is benefiting from involves 3D reconstruction, high-throughput screening or in silico predictions. This session will review the current trends in alternative testing and how they could be successfully used for the safety assessment of cosmetics products.