A 2024 inventory of test methods relevant to thyroid hormone system disruption for human health and environmental regulatory hazard assessment

List of Authors

  1. Lucia Vergauwen ,  
  2. Lola Bajard
    ,  
  3. Sabrina Tait
    ,  
  4. Ingrid Langezaal
    ,  
  5. Anita Sosnowska
    ,  
  6. Alessandra Roncaglioni
    ,  
  7. Ellen Hessel
    ,  
  8. Annick D van den Brand
    ,  
  9. Ann-Cathrin Haigis
    ,  
  10. Jiří Novák ,  
  11. Klára Hilscherová
    ,  
  12. Natalia Buławska
    ,  
  13. Nafsika Papaioannou
    ,  
  14. Elisavet Renieri
    ,  
  15. Eliana Spilioti
    ,  
  16. Anastasia Spyropoulou
    ,  
  17. Arno C Gutleb ,  
  18. Henrik Holbech
    ,  
  19. Dimitra Nikolopoulou
    ,  
  20. Miriam N Jacobs ,  
  21. Dries Knapen
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Abstract

Thyroid hormone system disruption (THSD) is a growing concern in chemical hazard assessment due to its impact on human and environmental health and the scarce methods available for assessing the THSD potential of chemicals. In particular, the general lack of validated in silico and in vitro methods for assessing THS activity is of high concern. This manuscript provides an inventory of test methods relevant to THSD. Building on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidance Document 150 and recent international developments, we highlight progress in in silico and in vitro methods, as well as in vivo assays. The provided inventory categorizes available methods according to the levels of the OECD Conceptual Framework, with an assessment of the validation status of each method. At Level 1, 12 in silico models that have been statistically validated and are directly related to THSD have been identified. At Level 2, 67 in vitro methods have been listed including those assessed in key initiatives such as the European Union Network of Laboratories for the Validation of Alternative Methods (EU-NETVAL) validation study to identify potential thyroid disruptors. At Levels 3-5, THSD-sensitive endpoints are being included in existing fish-based OECD Test Guidelines to complement amphibian assays. In total, the inventory counts 108 entries comprising established methods (e.g., OECD Test Guidelines) as well as citable methods that are under further development and in some cases are ready for validation or in the initial stages of validation. This work aims to support the ongoing development of strategies for regulatory hazard assessment, such as integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATAs), for endocrine disruptors, addressing critical gaps in the current testing landscape for THSD in both human and environmental health contexts.

Plain Language Summary

Endocrine disruption - the potential of chemicals, such as industrial chemicals or pesticides, to disrupt hormonal systems and cause adverse health effects - is of growing concern due to its impact on human and environmental health and the scarce methods available for assessing such hazards. In particular, the limited methods available for assessing disruption of the thyroid hormone system, is of high concern. This manuscript provides an inventory of test methods relevant for the assessment of thyroid hormone system disruption. We highlight progress in different types of methods such as computer simulations, cell-based methods, non-mammalian embryo-based methods and animal methods and include an assessment of the readiness of each method for implementation in chemical evaluations. In total, the inventory counts 108 entries comprising already established methods as well as recent developments. This work aims to support the ongoing development of strategies for evaluating endocrine disruption, addressing critical gaps in the current testing landscape for thyroid hormone system disruption in both human and environmental health contexts.

Corresponding author
Dries Knapen
Grant information

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant agreement No. 101057014 (Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals [PARC]). The work was performed specifically in the scope of the following projects that are part of the PARC partnership: P6.1.1.b on IATA development for ED, P6.3.2.h on hazard classes for ED and P6.1.1.a on human relevance. Dries Knapen, Lucia Vergauwen and Ann-Cathrin Haigis thank the University of Antwerp Research Fund (project 44602) and the Belgian Federal Public Service Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, DG Environment, in the framework of the National Action Plan on Endocrine Disruptors (NAPED, DGEM/DPPC/MJE/23079) for co-funding this work. Miriam N Jacobs thanks the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI, 10046118) for co-funding this work. Henrik Holbech thanks the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Danish EPA, 2022-14855) for co-funding this work. Sabrina Tait thanks the Italian National Institute of Health (Italian NIH) for co-funding this work. Arno C Gutleb thanks Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) for co-funding this work. Ellen Hessel and Annick D van den Brand thank the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature for co-funding this work. Lola Bajard, Klara Hilscherova and Jiri Novak thank the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (RECETOX Research Infrastructure [No. LM2023069]) for supportive background, and they acknowledge the support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements No 733032 (HBM4EU) and No 857560 (CETOCOEN Excellence). Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Copyright
© 2024 Lucia Vergauwen (Co-Author); Lola Bajard (Co-Author); Sabrina Tait (Co-Author); Ingrid Langezaal (Co-Author); Anita Sosnowska (Co-Author); Alessandra Roncaglioni (Co-Author); Ellen Hessel (Co-Author); Annick D van den Brand (Co-Author); Ann-Cathrin Haigis (Co-Author); Jiří Novák (Co-Author); Klára Hilscherová (Co-Author); Natalia Buławska (Co-Author); Nafsika Papaioannou (Co-Author); Elisavet Renieri (Co-Author); Eliana Spilioti (Co-Author); Anastasia Spyropoulou (Co-Author); Arno C Gutleb (Co-Author); Henrik Holbech (Co-Author); Dimitra Nikolopoulou (Co-Author); Miriam N Jacobs (Co-Author); Dries Knapen (Corresponding Author, Co-Author) Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Authors & roles

Lucia Vergauwen

Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing
0000-0002-6534-7473

Lola Bajard

RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Sabrina Tait

Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, 00161, Italy

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Ingrid Langezaal

European Commission Joint Research Centre Ispra, Ispra, Lombardy, 21027, Italy

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Anita Sosnowska

Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, 80-308, Poland

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Alessandra Roncaglioni

Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Lombardy, 20156, Italy

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Ellen Hessel

National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, 3721, The Netherlands

Roles
Co-Author, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Annick D van den Brand

National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, 3721, The Netherlands

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Ann-Cathrin Haigis

Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium

Roles
Co-Author, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Jiří Novák

RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic

Roles
Co-Author, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing
0000-0002-4656-8406

Klára Hilscherová

RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Natalia Buławska

Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, 80-308, Poland

Roles
Co-Author, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Nafsika Papaioannou

HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 570 01, Greece

Roles
Co-Author, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Elisavet Renieri

HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 570 01, Greece

Roles
Co-Author, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Eliana Spilioti

Laboratory of Toxicological Control of Pesticides, Scientific Directorate of Pesticides’ Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Athens, Attica, 145 61, Greece

Roles
Co-Author, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Anastasia Spyropoulou

Laboratory of Toxicological Control of Pesticides, Scientific Directorate of Pesticides’ Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Athens, Attica, 145 61, Greece

Roles
Co-Author, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Arno C Gutleb

Environmental Sustainability Assessment and Circularity (SUSTAIN) Unit, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, 4422, Luxembourg

Roles
Co-Author, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing
0000-0001-9725-9112

Henrik Holbech

Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230, Denmark

Roles
Co-Author, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Dimitra Nikolopoulou

Laboratory of Toxicological Control of Pesticides, Scientific Directorate of Pesticides’ Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Athens, Attica, 145 61, Greece

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Writing – Review & Editing

Miriam N Jacobs

Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Harwell Innovation Campus, UK Health Security Agency, Chilton, OX11 0RQ, UK

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Funding Acquisition, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing
0000-0002-4858-0118

Dries Knapen

Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium

Roles
Corresponding Author, Co-Author, Conceptualization, Funding Acquisition, Supervision, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing

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