Toxicology involves the study of the harmful effects of exogenous factors (chemical, physical, biological factors) on biological systems, including the toxic response of chemical substances to organisms, the severity of toxicity, the frequency of toxicity and the mechanism of toxic effects, as well as predicting the harm of chemical substances to humans and the ecological environment, providing a scientific basis for determining safety limits and taking preventive and control measures.
Specialized toxicology includes mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, teratogenicity, immunotoxicity, and neurotoxicity of drugs. These special toxicities are usually not easily detectable and require a long latency period or are exposed under special conditions, which are less frequent but have more serious consequences and are difficult to remedy.
The purpose of mutagenicity testing is to identify substances that may cause genetic alterations in somatic and/or germ cells. The microbial mutagenicity Ames test is a widely used method that is a bacterial bioassay done in vitro to assess whether various environmental carcinogens and toxins cause mutations in the DNA of the test organism.
The purpose of a carcinogenicity study is to determine the tumorigenic potential in animals and to assess the associated risk in humans. Long-term carcinogenicity studies involve the observation of tumor lesions in test animals during or after exposure to various doses of test substances via appropriate routes of administration for a large portion of their lives.
Developmental toxicity studies focus on prenatal development of the embryo or fetus, while reproductive toxicity studies look at various aspects of fertility. Developmental and reproductive toxicology is typically conducted in animals and can also be tested by in vitro assays.
Immunotoxicity studies are often used to determine the adverse effects of drugs on the immune system. Toxicity to the immune system includes suppression or enhancement of the immune response, with the former potentially leading to reduced host resistance to infectious agents or tumor cells, and the latter exacerbating autoimmune disease or hypersensitivity reactions.
With the help of advanced computer-aided drug design (CADD), combined with knowledge of statistics, biology, chemistry, etc., we can analyze relevant toxicological test data, estimate the exposure concentration of toxic substances, and assess the risk of toxic substances. It is an efficient way to predict and evaluate the hazard and risk of drugs and chemicals with low cost, short time and high throughput analysis.
As a leading CRO, BOC Sciences provides specialized toxicology testing, from safety testing of drugs to validation of new genotoxicity tests. Our services include a wide range of in vitro and in vivo toxicology tests designed according to international guidelines and performed in full compliance with GLP regulations. With extensive expertise and an experienced toxicology team, we serve clients in the pharmaceutical, industrial and environmental chemical sectors, accelerating the commercialization of their products.