title: Chemical sensitization and allergotoxicology.
abstract: Chemical sensitization remains an important environmental and occupational health issue. A wide range of substances have been shown to possess the ability to induce skin sensitization or respiratory sensitization. As a consequence, there is a need to have appropriate methods to identify sensitizing agents. Although a considerable investment has been made in exploring opportunities to develop methods for hazard identification and characterization, there are, as yet, no validated nonanimal methods available. A state of the art of the different in vitro approaches to identify contact and respiratory capacity of chemicals is covered in this chapter.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Risk and Health Unit-Toxicology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO N.V.), Centre for Advanced R&D on Alternative Methods (CARDAM), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium, rosette.vandenheuvel@vito.be.
authors.forename: Rosette L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Van Den Heuvel
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lambrechts
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verstraelen
authors.forename: Inge C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Nelissen
authors.forename: Greet E R
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Schoeters
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000633:toxicity*; D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology*; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens