The OECD endeavours to make better use of increased knowledge of how chemicals induce adverse effects in humans and wildlife, through the so-called Adverse Outcome Pathways. It is based on such knowledge that effective tools can be built to identify chemicals that need to be regulated. Adverse Outcomes Pathways (AOPs) provide a means of understanding how chemicals induce adverse effects through their toxicity pathways and modes of action. Since 2012, the AOP Development Programme at the OECD has been pioneering the establishment of a comprehensive AOP framework that can enable the more effective use of mechanistic information in regulatory decision-making.

As a major step forward towards this goal, a joint collaboration between the OECD, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission Joint Research Centre has today launched the Adverse Outcome Pathway Knowledge Base (AOP KB).  This is a web-based platform which aims to bring together all knowledge on how chemicals can induce adverse effects, therefore providing a focal point for AOP development and dissemination. The first AOP KB module is the AOP Wiki: an interactive and virtual encyclopaedia for AOP development, structured in accordance with the original OECD “Guidance document and a template for developing and assessing adverse outcome pathways” (Series No. 184, Series on Testing and Assessment) and the more recent Handbook for AOP developers. The Wiki is an innovative knowledge-sharing tool.

Further information is available at: http://www.oecd.org/chemicalsafety/launch-adverse-outcome-pathways-knowledge-base.htm

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