About

 

The American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) is a scientific society dedicated to the promotion of toxicology testing and research that reduces and replaces the use of animals.

Toxicology testing is currently undergoing a paradigm shift from a primarily observational, whole animal-based science to a predictive, mode-of-action-focused discipline. This shift is has been spurred by factors as diverse as concern for the animals used in tests, logistical difficulties in assessing growing inventories of substances, and a better understanding of the interaction between chemistry and human biology at the molecular level.

The National Academies, the nation's premier scientific advisory body, recommended in 2007 nothing short of a complete overhaul in the way chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and pollutants are routinely assessed for potential hazardous effects in its report Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy. Since the publication of this report, momentum has begun to build, bringing together a diverse set of organizations and scientific disciplines.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and the Institute for In Vitro Sciences formed the ASCCT in 2010 to harness this momentum and foster cooperation and dialog among North American scientists, regulators, and nongovernmental organizations from the pharmaceutical, chemical, pesticide, and consumer product sectors.

Similar societies exist in the Europe, Japan, and Korea, but the ASCCT is the first of its kind in North America.