New Research on Toxicology Research Models
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Toxicology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 315
Special Issue Editors
2. UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Toxicologic Pathology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Health Sciences (1H-TOXRUN, IUCS-CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
Interests: emerging contaminants; psychoactive drugs; ecotoxicity; chromatography
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapidly increasing number of new and existing environmental chemical contaminants including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal care products, novel food products, industrial chemicals, microplastics, and nanomaterials poses major challenges for human and environmental health risk assessment. Traditional toxicity testing approaches, particularly those based on mammalian animal models, remain essential for regulatory decision-making and for understanding complex systemic and long-term effects. However, these approaches are often time-consuming, costly, and raise significant ethical concerns. At the same time, conventional in vitro assays, while widely used for toxicity screening, frequently fail to capture the full complexity of biological systems due to their limited representation of physiological microenvironments, multicellular interactions, and organism-level responses.
There is therefore an urgent need to develop and implement innovative models and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in toxicology that can complement and, where appropriate, reduce reliance on mammalian testing, while meeting the evolving demands of safety evaluation and risk assessment. Recent advances in bioprinting, cell engineering, organoids, organ-on-chip platforms, and high-throughput technologies have significantly expanded the capabilities of advanced in vitro models. These approaches closely align with the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) by incorporating multiple cell types and more physiologically relevant microenvironments, thereby improving sensitivity, reliability, and mechanistic understanding in toxicity testing.
Beyond in vitro systems, alternative in vivo model organisms are increasingly recognized as indispensable tools in modern toxicology and as important components of NAM-based testing strategies. Several non-mammalian model organisms have emerged as powerful and complementary systems that can bridge the gap between simplified in vitro assays and complex mammalian studies. In the European regulatory context, models such as zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryos are considered particularly valuable; under EU Directive 2024/1262, they are not classified as experimental animals until 5–6 days post-fertilization, allowing their use in toxicological, environmental, and pharmacological research in full compliance with animal welfare regulations.
Aquatic models such as the water flea (Daphnia spp.), zebrafish, medaka, and freshwater planarians, as well as terrestrial organisms including earthworms (Eisenia spp.), Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster, provide ethically responsible and scientifically robust platforms for studying toxic effects at organismal and systems levels. These models enable the investigation of key toxicological endpoints, including gene–environment interactions, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, developmental toxicity, behavioral alterations, and ecotoxicological impacts, while maintaining strong relevance for both environmental and human health. Importantly, insights gained from these models can inform and refine subsequent mammalian studies, improving study design and reducing unnecessary animal use.
This Special Issue on Models in Toxicology Research aims to bring together original research articles, reviews, and methodological papers that highlight advanced in vitro systems, alternative in vivo models, and their integration with mammalian approaches, across aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The goal is to promote innovative, reproducible, and ethically responsible toxicological strategies that enhance predictive power, support regulatory science, and contribute to a more sustainable and human-relevant framework for chemical risk assessment.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Cláudia Maria Rosa Ribeiro
Dr. María Carolina Rocha-Pereira
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- contaminants of emerging concern
- aquatic organisms
- in vitro
- in vivo
- mammalian approaches
- mechanisms of toxicity
- environmental risk assessment
- one health
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