title: Alternatives to the carcinogenicity bioassay for toxicity prediction: are we there yet?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For decades, traditional toxicology has been the ultimate source of information on the carcinogenic potential of chemicals; however, with increasing demand on regulation of chemicals and decreasing resources for testing, opportunities to accept 'alternative' approaches have dramatically expanded. The need for tools able to identify carcinogens in shorter times and at a lower cost in terms of animal lives and money is still an open issue, and the present strategies and regulations for carcinogenicity prescreening do not adequately protect human health.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper briefly summarizes the theories on the early steps of carcinogenesis and presents alternative detection methods for carcinogens based on genetic toxicology, structure-activity relationships and cell transformation assays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is evidence that the combination of Salmonella and structural alerts for the DNA-reactive carcinogens, and in vitro cell transformation assays for nongenotoxic carcinogens, permits the identification of a very large proportion of carcinogens. If implemented, this alternative strategy could improve considerably the protection of human health.
authors.affiliation: Environment and Health Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Viale Regina Elena 299 00161, Rome, Italy. romualdo.benigni@iss.it
authors.forename: Romualdo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benigni
mesh_terms: D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D015197:Carcinogenicity Tests / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D051381:Rats; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D009153:Mutagens; D004247:DNA