Korea Institute of Toxicology explores alternatives to animal testing

As bioethical concerns over preclinical testing have come to the fore, countries around the world are stepping up research and regulatory efforts to introduce alternatives to animal testing.

The Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT) and the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) will co-host their third joint workshop Wednesday at the Intercity Hotel in Daejeon, under the theme "Development of OECD International Standard Test Methods and Changes in the Global Regulatory Paradigm."

Officials from both institutions, along with domestic and international experts from industry, academia and research, will attend the workshop to discuss the international standardization of alternative test methods and their policy applications. The program features three sessions: the first, on the direction of OECD international standard test method development, will include presentations by OECD researcher Choi Yu-jin, NIER section chief Lee Sang-hee and Hoseo University professor Oh Seung-min; the second, on case studies in alternative test method development, will feature KIT division head Kim Woo-geun, Sogang University professor Oh Han-bin and Korea University professor Kim Ha-ryong sharing their research findings; and the third, on policy applications of alternative test methods, will have Korea Environment Institute director Jeong Da-un and NIER researcher Song Myeong-ha presenting on policy implementation directions and future challenges.

Advanced economies including those in Europe and Japan have increasingly turned to zebrafish embryos — an intermediate model between cells and mammals — for toxicity testing. Zebrafish share more than 80 percent of their genetic structure with humans, making them a promising substitute for mammalian experiments, with the added advantage of producing highly accurate toxicity test results. Discussions on registering innovative alternative models such as zebrafish and cell-based systems in OECD test guidelines and advancing their international standardization are also expanding rapidly. The workshop will provide a forum for sharing the latest research findings and for in-depth discussion of a policy roadmap, project planning and concrete implementation measures to promote wider use of alternative test methods.

"I hope the diverse research findings and substantive discussions shared at this workshop will serve as a meaningful foundation not only for advancing alternative test method research in Korea but also for expanding international standardization and regulatory application," KIT Director Heo Jeong-du said.

KIT leads toxicological science research in South Korea and contributes to the advancement of regulatory science through the development and validation of alternative test methods, international collaborative research and participation in OECD test guideline development. The institute plans to continue pursuing the international standardization of alternative test methods and the expansion of their policy application, building on cooperation at home and abroad.