Intertek Cantox Scientists Develop Method to Promote High-Quality Nanotoxicology Studies
05 Jan 2012
Intertek Cantox Assists Companies with Addressing Nanomaterial Safety Concerns
[Ontario, Canada] - Intertek Cantox, a leading provider of scientific and regulatory consulting services to the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, announces the development of a method to promote high quality nanotoxicology studies allowing companies to ensure the safety of nanotechnology and nanomaterials based products entering the market.
With increasing interest in the use of nano-materials in a wide variety of industries, the number of published studies on the safety of nanomaterials continues to grow. During the Materials Research Society meeting held in November 2011, Dr. Jeffrey Card, Senior Program Manager in Toxicology at Intertek presented on the evaluation of the published literature on the safety of oral exposure to nanomaterials.
Dr. Card and his colleagues developed and tested a two-step Nano Study Score method to assess the overall quality of studies that examine the toxicity of nanomaterials. A comprehensive literature search identified 30 publications in which a toxicological endpoint was assessed following in vivo (oral) or in vitro exposure to food-related nanomaterials. Overall, using the Nano Study Score method, the evaluation indicated that there are currently insufficient reliable data to allow clear assessment of the safety of oral exposure to food-related nanomaterials. Significant investment must be made to generate studies of sufficient quality and duration, and that report comprehensive nanomaterial characterization such that results can be judged reliable and interpretable. Moreover, it is anticipated that the use and evolution of the Nano Study Score method will assist with the design, reporting, review, and interpretation of studies evaluating the potential toxicity of nanomaterials administered by various routes.
“Nanotechnology is having an impact in nearly every business area. There often is a lack of knowledge regarding what characteristics of a given nanomaterial may be responsible for its adverse effects in a particular study simply because adequate physicochemical characterization was not conducted or reported.”, says Dr. Card. “We want to close that gap so that we may gain a better understanding of the properties of nanomaterials that underlie their toxicity. Doing so will assist businesses with achieving the ultimate goal of developing safe nanotechnology-based products.”
Dr. Card’s presentation on assessing the quality of nanotoxicology studies was highlighted in Nature and can be located here as it focuses on regulatory guidance for nanomaterials (http://www.nature.com/news/nano-rules-fall-foul-of-data-gap-1.9548). To learn more about nanotechnology capabilities and services at Intertek, please visit https://www.intertek.com/green/nanotechnology.
For Market Inquiries:
Dr. Jeffrey Card
Senior Program Manager, Toxicology
Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare
Intertek Cantox
Telephone: +(1) 905 542-2900
Email: jcard@intertek.com
For Media Inquiries:
Cassie Biscanin
PR Manager
Intertek Group, Americas Region
Direct: +1 713.543.3775
Email: cassandra.biscanin@intertek.com
About Intertek Cantox
Intertek Cantox is part of Intertek Health, Environmental and Regulatory Services (www.intertek.com/green) offering an expansive range of specialized expertise in the areas of Food & Nutrition, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare, Chemicals, and Agriculture, Biotech & Consumer Products. For over 25 years, the specialists at Intertek Cantox have been helping companies resolve complex scientific and toxicology issues, develop scientific and strategic regulatory compliance plans, and facilitate timely regulatory global approvals. Intertek Cantox professionals deliver success and minimize client risk through the company’s broad expertise and knowledge of the regulatory approval processes that govern food, drug, cosmetic, consumer, commercial and industrial products in North America, Europe, and other jurisdictions around the world. For more information, visit www.intertek.com/cantox.
About Intertek
Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and 30,000 people in over 100 countries around the world. Intertek Group plc (LSE: ITRK) is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Visit: www.intertek.com