title: [The significance of in-vitro tests with respect to testing of substances for carcinogenic activities (author's transl)].
abstract: The actual possibilities to test chemical substances for carcinogenic activities are critically assessed. Short-term-tests are especially discussed. By these tests--now utilized for screening of chemicals--specific biological activities can be determined, which correlate with carcinogenic effects in vivo. The phase of checking and improving the vitro-tests is not yet finished with regard to the rate of correlation of the results from those tests and the results from long-term experiments in animals as well as from clinical and epidemiological human data. Parallel to this investigations, results from long-term-tests should be critically evaluated, because the experimental induction of tumors in animals is up to now the only way to prove carcinogenic activity of a chemical. Short-term-tests should be utilized as screening methods for the selection of suspicious substances, which should or must be further tested in long-term animal experiments. At present results from short-term-tests are not sufficient to classify a substance as a carcinogen or a non-carcinogen. Certain short-term-tests can and will get significance for the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to man when comparing the metabolism of carcinogens in vitro using enzymatic systems of a series of mammalians including man.
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004260:DNA Repair; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006900:Hydroxylation; D008722:Methods; D008938:Mitosis; D009153:Mutagens; D009154:Mutation / Q000187:drug effects; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D009153:Mutagens
vernacular_title: Kurzzeit-Tests als eine Stufe im Rahmen der Prüfung von Substanzen auf kanzerogene Wirkungen.