Date: 25.11.2004, 19:56:21 Subject: ecopa messenger - #01-2004, This newsletter, the "ecopa-messenger", is part of our EU 6th Framework Programme-project CONAM, and it details information of other projects within that EU programme (such as PREDICTOMICS, ReProTect etc.) which were co-initiated and are supported by ecopa. It also addresses recent activites of ecopa and its working groups. We have thereby created an information system on alternative method development for the first time in Europe that will, almost in real time, supply the interested organizations, institutions and individuals with the respective information. We have included some basic info also on our technical approach to keep the EU 6th Framework Programme-project teams and the ecopa-Working Groups connected and informed, as immediately and optimally as possible. Also, a general forum is activated for more general info. If you know other people or institutions interested, have them visit our website and subscribe to this newsletter. Even though this is already no. 1 appearing, and even though recipients seemed to have been content with our zero-number of two weeks ago, any proposal or recommendation regarding style, content or distribution of the newsletter is highly welcome and appreciated (bgarthoff@t-online.de) FINALLY, the outcome of the workshop on eSI (ecopaScienceInitative) and the ultimate programme of the Annual ecopa workshop of the coming weekend is included in this edition! You still can register! Bernward Garthoff Treasurer ecopa on behalf of the ecopa Management Board +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Issue # 01 (November 2004) ecopa: - General News - Technical Info tu use the Forum of ecopa EU 6th Framework Programme Projects / ecopa Working Groups: - CONAM - ReProTect - PREDICTOMICS - eSI: ecopa Science Initiative - Sens-it-iv +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ General News ecopa has initiated this year several conferences and workshops which are either part of its general activities within the scope of its past mission (such as the ecopa Annual Workshop - end of November, this time with the topic SCALE: 5th ecopa Workshop: Programme, 5th ecopa Workshop: Registration Form (PDF-File), but also part of its now extended spectrum "to re-vitalize the alternative method-scene". In that regard, there was an initiative taken together with ECVAM, to activate the stakeholders in the new resp. future member states (link: Prague Workshop - siehe EVENTS ) and to form new National Consensus Platforms (NCPs) in these countries. The first result of these activities is highlighted by preparations for new platforms in Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary - others to follow! An idea expands across Europe and gets more and more shape. Also, this activity of ecopa-members contributes to the CONAM plan and helps fulfill the requests of the EU Commission to involve the new member states and Associate Countries (Bulgaria and Romania). Beyond this action, the Management Board Members broadened the spectrum of ecopa activities also by addressing toxicologists: by invitation and with the support of the Finnish platform "Fincopa", ecopa organized an extraordinary well-attended symposium at the 10th International Conference on Toxicology (10th International Congress of Toxicology) in Tampere in July. This added to the recognition of the 3 Rs-concept within the scientific community and of the potential input alternative methods can offer within the regulatory framework given. Furthermore, this made ecopa a lot more known in the world of toxicological science and will enable us to further broaden our expert basis. As an offer by ecopa Management Board to interested conference organizers and NCPs, we are always willing to support you with presentations on ecopa or alternative method development - please contact us via the ecopa webpage under contact. Technical Info to use the Forum of ecopa The Forum Section is now available via the ecopa page or the direct link (http://ecopa.vub.ac.be/forum/). In regard to EU Project/ecopa Working Groups: to read and post messages in the Forum-section of the ecopa website, the users need to register themselves. After registration (and authorization by Board and Webmaster), each user-address has to be activated for this section. In regard to the General Discussion Section: the users need to be registered to post messages in this section, but they can read all posts in here. The Forum itself is quite self-explanatory, here's just a short introduction ? and in addition you will find a detailed Q+A Section there as well: (forum FAQ) After you have registered yourself, click on a section to view or post a message. To post a message, click in a section on "new topic". When there already is a message in a section, you can click on "new reply" to directly reply to that message. You can click the button "pm" under a message, to write a private message to the author. Go to learn-by-doing, for any other questions or problems you can have a look at the forum-FAQ Section (forum FAQ) or sent a mail to the Webmaster. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EU 6th Framework Programme Projects / ecopa Working Groups +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ *Details, Minutes, Contract numbers and alike will be dispatched on the FORUM pages in future, once activated by the individual teams. Abstract of the project The CONAM project is proposed by ecopa. This is the only quadripartite not-for-profit organisation that promotes a consensus strategy for 3R-alternative methods in the EU. Innovative is that the 4 parties having a major interest, animal welfare, industry, government and academia, are equally represented and reach consensus. Actually, national consensus platforms of 10 Member States, 2 Associate States and 2 Associate Candidate Countries are involved. The objective of CONAM is to build a solid network on 3R-alternatives, ideally including all European countries and with the aim to deliver critical consensus expert opinions on 3R-issues, to draw attention on new alternatives and technologies, to disseminate this information and to initiate collaboration. Identified priorities are: Consensus networking on 3R-alternatives with focus on website expansion, to support existing and new national consensus platforms, to stimulate collaboration and linking in particular with non-EU candidate countries. Ethics with emphasis on harmonisation and consensus by analysing and proclaiming shared ethical, legal and societal values, to continue dialogue where others failed and to develop consensus documents with focus on "omics" technology, access to human data and samples. Education activities to support (inter)national training and education of 3R-methods with focus on non-EU candidate countries. Legislative issues with emphasis on the EU Chemicals Policy: to harvest relevant information on the translation of the EU White Paper into legislation, to disseminate and discuss among the 4 parties, to come with a consensus paper to advice the EU decision making process. ecopas networking offers equilibrated, scientifically-sound and technically-relevant expertise and experience. The opportunities of emerging "omics" technologies should be fully explored, including ethical, educational and socio-political impact. Recent News Open vacancy for secretary of ecopa. Candidatures to be sent to Vera Rogiers, position immediately available, full-time position at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel for at least 3 years, university diploma requested (politics, PR, Sciences,...) and language and writer skills (vacancy notice) CONAM related: Annalaura Stammati has given a presentation on ecopa and its activities in Slovenia (introduction to ecopa) in order to start up a Slovenian Consensus Platform (19 September 2004) Annalaura Stammati also has presented IPAM and ecopa during "Giornata MAPIC 2004: Il futuro degli ingredienti cosmeticinella strategia comunitaria", in Milano, Auditorium Federchimica, on June 17, 2004 MAPIC roughly means Group on raw materials for Cosmetic Industry and Additives for Cosmetic and Pharmaceutic Industry and it belongs to Federchimica. CONAM related:Vera Rogiers has given a presentation on ecopa in Poland, Warsaw on 16 November 2004. All stakeholders were present at the meeting, in order to build up the Polish Consensus Platform POLCOPA (in collaboration with Maciej Stepnik) (Minutes of the meeting of the Polish Group of ecopa, Participants of the meeting of the Polish Group of ecopa, Questions to Prof. Rogiers) CONAM related: Vera Rogiers will give a presentation on ecopa in,Budapest, Hungary on 3 December 2004., in order to build up the Hungarian Consensus Platform HUCOPA (in collaboration with Mariann Molnar) All stakeholders will be present at the official meeting "Formation of the Hungarian Consensus Platform for Alternatives" Platforms Polish Platform: Polcopa annual report 2004 Norwegian Platform: The Norwegian authorities have given a grant now for 2004 (hopefully to be followed up with the same amount next year) to Adrian Smiths?L department to start Norwegian platform activities, in close cooperation with the National Animal Research Authority (NARA). Then after this initial period, the initiative will be discussed with the aim of choosing an optimal permanent platform structure. The NARA has already representatives from 3 of the 4 stakeholders, and could easily embrace the 4th by electing a representative from industry. National Consensus Platforms Swiss: NCP Swiss: Activity Report 2004 Finland: NCP Finland: Activity Report 2004 Germany: NCP Germany: Activity Report 2004 Report on the first Board, resp. kick off-Meeting of the Working Groups The first Board and kick off meeting took place in Monheim/Germany on 2004 (minutes of the 1st board meeting) and was followed by the first meeting of the Working Group representatives on April 28, 2004 in Monheim, Germany, i.e.: Prof. V. Rogiers for WG 1 (Organisation/CONAM), Karin Gabrielson for WG2 (Politics and Chemicals), Prof. de Cock-Buning for WG 4 (Ethics). Also present were Prof. Eugenio Vilanova (substituting for WG 3: Education/Information) and Dres. Simon Webb (LRi of CEFIC), Bernward Garthoff (Treasurer ecopa). The further programme and project work within ecopa and CONAM was discussed (Conam WP-Leaders meeting) further adaptations of the current website were proposed, the result of which you can see by now. In future, the FORUM page for CONAM will also be activated ? see above for technical details. Also, there will be in that place more general information in that place on the CONAM project available, which will not necessarily be referred to by this newsletter ? so, check it out (ecopa forum). As part of the CONAM project and in response to the request of the EU, we will give any news, minutes of project (as far as they are non-confidential and non-proprietary) or post relevant info in the respective Forum Section. We will refer to it by use of the Newsletter. Also, as part of ecopa extended mission, we will refer to up coming events such as local workshop, conferences, meetings of the NCPs or ecopa working group etc. on our Website EVENT page, and if appropriate, in this newsletter. Please supply us with the relevant info whenever deemed useful in your own interest. Interested to form a new national platform in your country, if not existing? Please contact us under the CONTACT page. For an upfront info how to create a platform in your country, and which criteria apply to be official recognized by ecopa, refer to the presentation of Jose?L Castell at the Stakeholder Workshop in Prague (ECVAM/ecopa Stakeholder Workshop) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This 6th FP-project, that ecopa had co-initiated and in which ecopa is represented with 3 members in the Supervising Board including the Chairperson, was started in 2003 with 21 partners. The overall funding is scheduled to be 9.1 mio EUR, resp. 13.5 mio EUR. Contract with the EU was signed on July 1, 2004; the administration is performed by Prof. Michael Schwarz, University of Tu?Nbingen. Abstract of the Project ReProTect is an Integrated Project of the EU (IP) funded within the 6th Framework Programme. This Integrated Project, putting together 35 different European partners from Academia, SMEs, Governmental Institutes and others intends to explore the most complicate and delicate field of toxicology, the reproductive toxicity. The investigation in this field currently requires substantial number of animals and the main objective of this IP is to reduce this number. The project will drive the R&D toward alternatives to animal tests according to the needs identified, with the main intention to pre-validate and validate the most promising ones. This represents the ambition of developing a novel approach in hazard and risk assessment of reproductive toxicity, by a combination and application of in vitro, tissue and sensor technologies. The project will run over 5 years. Recent News The kick off meeting and the Supervisory Board-meeting took place in Ispra/Italy at the ECVAM-Location on July 18-21, 2004. (Links not open to the public yet!) For contact: reprotect@jrc.it +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The ecopa-induced 6th Framework Programme project has been started in 2003, with 14 partners, all in all. The overall funding is scheduled to be 2.3 mio EUR. Contract with the EU was signed on September 1, 2004; the administration is done by REMA. Abstract of the project The development of new pharmaceutical compounds will be more efficient if human relevant toxicology information early in the selection process is available. While acute toxicity can be reasonably detected during the early preclinical stages of drug development, long-term toxicity is more difficult to predict, relying almost exclusively on animal experiments. Animal experimentation of this kind is expensive and time consuming, raises ethical issues and does not necessarily represent best toxicological relevance to man. This project addresses the urgent need to develop in vitro based systems which are capable of predicting long term toxicity in humans. The major objectives of this project are: 1) To develop advanced cell culture systems which as best possible represent the human liver and kidney in vivo. This will be achieved using combined strategies namely: co-cultures of resident cell types, targeted cell transformation, stem cell technology and new developments in organotypic cell culture (i.e. perfusion cultures and 3D cultures). 2) To identify specific early mechanistic markers of toxin induced cell alterations by using integrated genomic, proteomic and cytomic analysis. 3) To establish and prevalidate a screening platform (cell systems together with analysis tools) which is unambiguously predictive of toxin induced chronic renal and hepatic disease. This proposal is unique in it's mechanistic integration of the three levels of cellular dynamics (genome, proteome and cytome) together with advanced cell culture technology to detect early events of cellular injury. Only with such an integrated approach will in vitro techniques ever be applicable to predicting chronic toxicity in man. This project, if successful will (1) contribute to the replacement of animal testing in drug development, (2) increase the speed and decrease the cost of bringing new pharmaceutical compounds to the patient and (3) increase our understanding of toxin induced chronic disease development. Recent News The kick-off meeting was held on September 24 and 25 close to Valencia (Minutes of the Predictomics Kick-Off meeting) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The ecopaScienceInitiative is a project ecopa had initiated at its last Annual Workshop in November 2003 in Brussels (Minutes of the Fourth ecopa Workshop). The ecopa Management Board members had campaigned for it on different occasions and had also talks with representatives of the Cabinet of DG RTD of the EU Commission in that respect. With substantial support of s e t , the German National Platform, Procter and Gamble, as well as Bayer CropScience, the Department of Toxicology at the VUB, the Dep.de Bioqui?Lmica Hospital Universitario La Fe of Valencia, this essential activity could be performed, and the workshop could be organized near Alicante, Spain (http://www.uv.es/~jcastell/indexESI.htm) Abstract of the project The eSI Conference under the heading: "Reaching the young scientist" was an initiative organised by ecopa aimed at bringing together senior as well as young researchers to discuss about the new technologies and their applicability in in vitro research as well as to improve creativity and innovation in the search for alternative methods. ecopa had performed a detailed literature analysis of the last 5 years of research in alternative methods and had concluded that this area of applied research is drying out. ecopa had invited some renowned European scientists, i.e. "doyens" in their field of research such as proteomics, genomics, pharmaco- and toxicogenomics, but also of other areas that might have relevance to the development of alternative methods. It was not asked for immediate proposals for alternatives application from these key note speakers in their state of the art-presentation, but this had to be back in their mind, of course. In addition, ecopa has asked experts of technology applications to give their input as well. Also, ecopa invited some young research scientists and postdocs who might have some application for their current reseach projects. The Workshop took place with 52 participants representing 14 European countries, 6 companies, thereof 1 SME. Recent News Pictures of the eSi-workshop Quotes of eSi participants & speakers eSi Report (PDF-File) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sens-it-iv This 6th Framework Programme-project is in statu nascendi and will be covered with some more detail in one of our next info ecopa-newsletters. {-disclaimer-}