Will qAOPs modernise toxicology?

Abstract

In this editorial we reflect on the past decade of developments in predictive toxicology, and in particular on the evolution of the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) paradigm. Starting out as a concept, AOPs have become the focal point of a community of scientists, regulators and decision-makers. AOPs provide the mechanistic knowledge underpinning the development of Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA), including computational models now referred to as quantitative AOPs (qAOPs). With reference to recent and related works on qAOPs, we take a brief historical perspective and ask what is the next stage in modernising chemical toxicology beyond animal testing.