title: 15thAnnual Meeting of the Safety Pharmacology Society: Focus on traditional sensory systems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This report summarizes and comments key talks on the five traditional senses (ear, vestibular system, vision, taste, olfaction, and touch) which were delivered during the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Safety Pharmacology (SP) Society.
  
  
  METHODS
  The functional observational battery (FOB) can detect major candidate drug liabilities only on ear, touch and vision. Anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology notions on each sensory system introduce speaker talks. Techniques for evaluating drug effects on hearing functions are reviewed. Nonclinical approaches to assess vestibular toxicity leading to balance deficits are presented. Retinal explants studied with multielectrode arrays allow the identification of drug liability sites on the retina. Routinely performed Safety Pharmacology assays are not powered to address candidate drug-induced disturbances on taste and smell. This weakness needs correction since unintended pharmacological impairment of these sensorial functions may have serious health consequences. Neuropathy produced by chemotherapeutic agents may cause multiple sensorial perception distortions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Safety Pharmacology studies should ensure the safety of any candidate drug on the five sensorial systems.
authors.affiliation: 54 rue de la Glacière, 75013 Paris, France. Electronic address: iciliocavero@outlook.com.
authors.forename: Icilio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cavero
authors.affiliation: 13765 Seabiscuit Drive, Reno, NV, USA.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holzgrefe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D010600:Pharmacology / Q000379:methods*; D066191:Sensorimotor Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015507:Drugs, Investigational
keywords: Chemotherapy; Hearing; Neuropathy; Olfaction; Safety pharmacology; Taste; Touch; Vestibular system; Vision