摘要：A new position statement from The Endocrine Society provides a strong argument for scientists in industry, government, and academia to work together, across disciplines, to improve testing of chemicals as potential endocrine disruptors. Published ahead of print in Endocrinology on 25 June 2012,1the statement focuses on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) to illustrate how fundamental endo-crinology principles might be incorporated into more rigorous screens for endocrine activ-ity. But according to lead author R. Thomas Zoeller, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the need for broader consideration of endocrinology extends to screening programs beyond the EDSP.The EDSP flags potential endocrine disruptors with a two-tiered system. Tier 1 assays, which were validated by t he Federal Inse cticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Science Advisory Panel in 2008,2provide information for use in identifying chemicals that could potentially interact with the endo-crine system. Tier 2 assays, which are cur-rently undergoing validation, evaluate dose responses bet ween t hose interactions and chemical exposure. The Endocrine Society statement focuses on Tier 1, which employs a varie ty of in vitro and in vivo assays with a long history in toxicology
