ABSTRACT
No other fi eld in in vitro toxicology testing has driven academic, industrial, and government resources to develop cell modeling systems as much as the need for alternatives to local toxicity testing. This is principally due to the ubiquitous presence of cosmetics, toiletries, and dermal and ocular pharmaceuticals marketed for worldwide use. Furthermore, the results obtained with the original models for dermal and ocular toxicity were not successful in predicting effects encountered in vivo, primarily because of the inconsistencies between data generated from animal models and human risk exposure. However, technical advances and improved knowledge of cell culture technology have allowed improvements in the development of cellular systems, with some tests undergoing full validation evaluation in the United States and European Union (EU).
