In the Autumn edition of "Good Medicine , produced by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, comes the latest news in research testing. The EPA'S ToxCast program, which uses computer modeling and in vitro methods instead of animals, is expanding. The program screens pesticides, food additives, drugs not on the market, and other products for toxicity. Their aim is to develop cell-based tests to replace current tests that use hundreds or thousands of animals. The company Expression Analysis is being awarded a $27 million contract to test more than 12,000 chemicals found in thousands of human fluid samples. The company's development of gene-based biomarkers, signals when a chemical has had an effect on the organism's cells and tissues. Not only does this make the research more human-relevant, but it potentially saves the suffering, torture and lives of thousands of animals. Kudos to the EPA and Expression Analysis. |