The AIT will be holding its AGM on Thursday 22nd October 2020 at 14:00 (UK time). Due to the global pandemic the AGM for 2020 will be a virtual webinar session.

If you would like to be sent the link to attend the AGM virtual webinar session please contact the Association of Inhalation Toxicologists <aitoxicology@gmail.com> and your details will be added to the list (a link to the session will be sent out to you nearer the time). The Cisco Webex webinar session only allows 100 attendees so numbers will be limited however we do need our AIT members to attend if you possibly can.

Thankyou for your support of the AIT in these difficult times.

This is a final reminder for you to register for the AIT virtual Webinar series to be held 13th, 15th, 20th and 22nd October 2020 at 13:00 BST and to register to attend the Association of Inhalation Toxicologists Annual General Meeting to be held on 22nd October 2020 at 14:00 BST. Thanks to those who have already registered. We are looking forward to you joining us.

Below are the details of the 4 free Virtual Webinar Sessions the AIT will be hosting during October 2020 and the date for our virtual Annual General Meeting. We will be using Cisco WebEx platform to run the webinars and the presentation will be shared on screen.

Attending the webinars is free however with limited spaces registration in advance is essential. Once spaces are filled you will be added to a reserve list. Presenters please register for any of the other webinars you wish to attend. The spaces detailed below are as of 04 October 2020 and are subject to change.

If you have not already registered please email the AIT at aitoxicology@gmail.com with details of the webinars you would like to attend. A registration email will then be sent out to you in due course for each webinar session. 

This invite will be registered to your email account so cannot be shared with a third party.

WEBINARS

Webinar 1: Tuesday 13th October  2020 – 50 minutes commencing at 13:00 BST

43 spaces remaining: closing date for registration is Sunday 11th October 2020

Title: Inhalation Delivery and SARS Preclinical Models. Presented by J. McDonald (Lovelace Biomedical).

Summary: Information on animal models designed to evaluate efficacy of intervention strategies in SARS-CoV-2, and considerations for treatment, endpoints and delivery, especially inhalation delivery. Presented by J. McDonald (Lovelace Biomedical).

Webinar 2: Thursday 15th October  2020 – 50 minutes commencing at 13:00 BST  

45 spaces remaining: closing date for registration is Tuesday 13th October 2020  

Title: Early De-risking Approaches for Identification of Anti-Fibrotics for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Treatment. Presented by C. Roper, M. McElroy and J. Aarbiou (Charles River Laboratories).

Abstract: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease leading to a progressive and irreversible decline in lung function caused by repetitive micro-injuries to the alveolar epithelium.  To date, only nintedanib and pirfenidone have been licensed to treat IPF, therefore, there is an increased effort to discover new therapies.  We have created a testing strategy for identifying new and improved therapies for IPF using in vitro and in vivo models.  The strategy starts with the in vitro high throughput screening model, in vitro FMT Assay, followed by the low throughput 3D, EpiAlveolar model (which needs further optimization as it was developed for assessment of lung toxicity), and finally testing in the well established in vivo bleomycin model.  This testing strategy provides an integrated (human in vitro and animal in vivo) testing program with 3Rs benefits.  The in vitro FMT assay, the in vitro EpiAlveolar model assay and the in vivo bleomycins models will be discussed.  In conclusion, human-derived in vitro models can be used to assess potency and toxicity of novel fibrotic compounds in disease relevant assays (e.g. FMT).  Only compounds with the optimum potency and low toxicity will move forward into in vivo assays to assess exposure and efficacy.  Integration of in vitro and in vivo data will improve with screening and selection for novel therapeutic anti-fibrotic drugs.

Webinar 3: Tuesday 20th October 2020 – 50 minutes commencing 13:00 BST

37 spaces remaining: closing date for registration is Sunday 18th October 2020

Title: Phase I: The transition from nonclinical to clinical and beyond. Presented by C. Laing (Covance).

Summary: An overview of first-in-human study designs. Focusing on how the non-clinical data are used to guide the study design, starting dose and dose escalations. How the emerging clinical data is used to adapt the study to better meet the objectives. And how a study can be expanded to increase the information obtained to assist the progression from first-in-human to proof of concept.

Webinar 4: Thursday 22nd October 2020 – 50 minutes commencing at 13:00 BST

16 spaces remaining: closing date for registration is Tuesday 20th October 2020

Title: Regulatory Toxicology: Safety Margin Assessments of Inhalation Drug Products. Presented by D. Jones (MHRA, UK) and L. Pei (FDA, US).

Summary: Safety margin assessments and recommendations in support of clinical development and registration of inhalation drug products (IDP) and non-IDP differ significantly.  Key factors contributing to these differences include the following: the complexity and difficulty to test individual ingredients and formulations of IDP in nonclinical settings, difficulty to assess dosimetry and exposures of test articles (e.g., active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, and others) in both clinical and nonclinical settings, the complexity and uniqueness of inhalation toxicity studies in the laboratory animals, species differences in responses to inhaled materials, and the lack of effective monitoring of potential treatment-related responses in the lung in the clinical setting. These challenges can be further complicated when nonclinical programs are evaluated by regulatory scientists and their counterparts in the pharmaceutical industry and academia who lack expertise in inhalation toxicology and regulatory nonclinical safety evaluations.  Regulatory scientists from the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of UK and US FDA will discuss in depth regulatory nonclinical safety evaluation of IDP and safety margin assessments in these two regions during the webinar.

The AIT looks forward to you joining us.

Visit - https://www.aitoxicology.org/ for more information on all of these webinars.

Veterinary pathology examinations - we all know we need to learn lots, but how do you go about it and how do you keep other aspects of your life in balance?

This virtual seminar of the BSVP, DTF European Division and BSTP takes a step back from the syllabus and focuses on the process of preparing for any veterinary pathology examination.

Drs Katie Waine, Hannah Wong and Laura Setyo discuss time management, managing personal relationships and mental wellbeing, during the big examination build up.

This will be followed by a live Q & A session with the speakers and additional panellists Prof. Simon Priestnall and Dr Gareth Maglennon, where the audience can gain insight into examination preparation experiences from diverse personal situations, including the revising parent, revising around a job and examination re-sits.

Date:                                     Wednesday 21st October 2020

Time:                                    16:00 - 17:30 BST

Registration is Free:       Sign up via the hyperlink in the flyer

This webinar is aimed at trainees, supervisors, and anyone interested in the mental wellbeing of our veterinary pathology community.

  Veterinary_Pathology_Exam_Preparation.pdf (1.0 MiB, 60 hits)

The details are also available on the BSTP group LinkedIn page - British Society of Toxicological Pathology

Requests for sponsorship for the ASM was already underway, when, due to the effects of Covid-19, all BSTP events planned for 2020 were cancelled.

The BSTP would like to recognise the support from GSK who have once again provided a substantial donation, originally intended for sponsoring the 2020 ASM.

In consultation with GSK, it has been confirmed that they are committed to supporting scientific societies this year and are happy for the society to use the funding as it sees fit to further its educational purpose.

The BSTP would like to thank GSK for their generous contribution and if any other companies would like to help support the society thorough these difficult times, please contact the BSTP Secretariat - bstpoffice@aol.com

The Royal Society of Biology is delighted to invite you to our upcoming Policy Lates online event, Discovery research in the era of COVID-19, supported by the Policy Lates Working Group.

This free online event will take place on Wednesday 12th August from 18:30-20:30 using Zoom.  

Event outline
Discovery research can be defined as basic or fundamental research that is curiosity-driven, rather than research that has a direct application and is heavily guided by wider strategic priorities. The delivery and implementation of discovery research outcomes has led to wide-ranging economic and social benefits.

This event will bring together specialists involved in the funding, infrastructure, delivery and outcomes of discovery research. Talks will focus on strategies and policies currently in place to drive the discovery of medicinal products, to enable prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19, alongside the response to other human diseases.

The panel will discuss how the pandemic has, and may continue to, remodel the discovery research landscape. We'll consider what can be done, in an equitable and sustainable way, to meet the challenges and benefit from the opportunities this important area of research brings for our society.

There will be ample time for audience questions and panel discussion, chaired by Professor Jackie Hunter CBE FBPharmacolS FRSB.

Panel
Chaired by Professor Jackie Hunter CBE FBPharmacolS FRSB, BenevolentBio, the meeting will include short talks from the panellists, including Steve Bates OBE, BioIndustry Association, and Dr Curtis Asante, Cancer Research UK.

RSVP
This event is free to attend but advanced registration is required. Meeting joining details will be sent in advance. Please do circulate to interested guests and book your place on the event page or RSVP to Harriet McAra at events@rsb.org.uk

I hope you are able to join us for this exciting and informative event.

Finally, please may I additionally draw your attention to the topic of our Policy internship. To ensure we get a positive number of applicants, we would be grateful if you could help to circulate this opportunity throughout your wider networks. To assist with further dissemination, I have provided newsletter ready text below:

RSB Policy Internships
The RSB has one internship position available for current PhD students who are funded by AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, andNERC. The successful applicant will spend three months working at the RSB in 2021. Start and end dates can be negotiated as appropriate.
Closes: 10 September 2020

The Royal College of Pathologists have an exciting upcoming virtual event. This year RCPath is working together with the Veterinary Pathology Specialty Advisory Committee to present the RCPath Veterinary Pathology School for residents - Virtual Training Programme, scheduled for Saturday 5th September 2020.

Event Overview Information

The RCPath Veterinary Pathology School is aimed at veterinary pathology (anatomic and clinical) and microbiology residents at any stage of their training. The emphasis of the programme is on the FRCPath programme, but those studying for ACVP and ECVP exams may also find the programme of interest. 

The day will consist of a series of short lectures delivered by experts with several break-out sessions.  

For more information on this exciting event, please visit the event booking page here.

You should have already received emails reminding you that your membership payment would be due for payment on 1st April 2020, and as a reminder the fees are as follows:

£60        - BSTP Member - without Journal

£160      - BSTP Member - with Journal (print and online access, including INHAND Supplements = £60 + £100)

£115      - BSTP Member - with Journal (online access only = £60 + £55)

The membership year runs from 1st April through to 31st March of each year with no discount or refunds available if joining or cancelling mid-term.

As your payment is nearly 2 months overdue, we are sorry, but you will incur a late payment charge of £25.00

If you have not yet renewed and subscribe to the journal, you are advised that your subscription to the journal will be suspended on Thursday 21st May 2020.

For all members who have not yet renewed, your membership of the BSTP will continue for the time being.

Please renew online and pay by credit card – the preferred option - to start the renewal process, visit http://www.bstp.org.uk/membership-page/

If you would rather pay by bank transfer, please ensure that payment is made in GBP and that you pay the full amount due within 14 days of the generation of your renewal paperwork.   If you pay by bank transfer from outside the UK, you need to ensure that the BSTP receive the full amount due or add £10 to cover any bank or exchange rate charges.  If you have an automatic bank transfer payment set up to pay the BSTP, you need to remember that you still need to complete the online renewal process so that we have on file the paperwork, both for financial and data protection reasons.

The BSTP are no longer able to accept payments by cheque.

Once the payment has been processed, the BSTP Secretariat will be notified of your renewal and unless there are any problems or you requested an official invoice/receipt, there will be no need for the Secretariat to contact you to confirm your renewal.

The BSTP now has Emeritus membership for those of you that are fully retired from working toxicological pathology, please contact the BSTP Secretariat for further information.

If you have any problems renewing your membership online or your circumstances have changed and you prefer not to renew your membership at this time, please contact the BSTP Secretariat as soon as possible.

The Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP) is seeking to broaden its membership by reaching out to scientists and students (medical/veterinary/residents/graduate/postdocs) involved or interested in safety assessment, teaching, or research in variety of fields including, but not limited to, clinical pathology, toxicologic pathology, toxicology, and biomedical research. We are inviting them to become members of the STP and attend our 39^th Annual Symposium on June 13-18, 2020 at the Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, Nevada where the topic is The Hematopoietic System.

Please note:

• There are numerous travel awards available to students to attend the Annual Symposium in Summerlin.
• Registration fees are waived for active STP student members.
• Non-member students who apply by April 1 for STP student membership ($25 annual dues) and are approved, can also register for free.
• Non-members who apply for membership prior to July 1 and who are accepted will receive complimentary membership for the remainder of 2020.

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Please visit www.toxpath.org to apply for membership and register for the Annual Symposium.

The INHAND Project (International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria for Lesions) is a joint initiative of the STP, ESTP, BSTP and JSTP to develop an internationally accepted nomenclature for proliferative and non-proliferative lesions in laboratory animals.

The Nonproliferative and Proliferative Lesions of the Rat and Mouse Hematolymphoid System is now available - to access a copy, login to the members only area of the BSTP website and click on INHAND

The non-rodent species documents are progressing into membership review.

Because the various rodent systems have been published over several years, some common terms used in pathology were not consistent across the organ systems.  For example, some systems used “thrombus” and some used “thrombosis”.  The Global Editorial and Steering Committee (GESC) undertook a comprehensive review across all rodent organ systems.  Modifications to provide better consistency were recommended and reviewed by the rodent organ working groups.  In addition, an effort was made to harmonize with the ongoing SEND (Standard for Exchange of Nonclinical Data) initiative with the FDA.

The updates to the terms across all rodent organ systems can be seen by accessing goRENI then by clicking on the “Post-publ. changes” under “goRENI members” on the left side of the page.

If you need assistance with access to the goRENI system, please contact Rupert Kellner (rupert.kellner@item.fraunhofer.de).

If you have comments you would like to convey directly to the GESC, please contact the chair of the Charlotte Keenan (charlotte.keenan@msn.com).

Toxicologic Pathology is pleased to announce the publication of a special 2021 issue focusing on Digital Pathology, Tissue Image Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning in the context of Toxicologic Pathology and Drug Development. This collection of peer-reviewed original research articles and reviews will address multiple topics required for proficiency in these fields.

Internship in the Pharmaceutical or (Agro-) Chemical Industry:  Career in Toxicologic Pathology

The ESTP would like to promote young colleagues interested in veterinary pathology to discover toxicologic pathology. Therefore, we are happy to share the possibility to apply for internships in departments of pathology/preclinical development in the pharmaceutical and (agro-) chemical industry as well as in contract research laboratories (CRO's).

• An internship in the industry or a CRO aims to provide an introduction to the toxicological and experimental pathologist's daily duties, i.e. technical, scientific and communication aspects, and an understanding of how pathology data fits into drug/chemical development and safety. The intern might also have the possibility to actively contribute to a short project.

• An internship can for example include the following task and challenges: Exposure to systemic toxicology studies including slide evaluation and review together with an experienced pathologists, efficacy, mechanistic and investigative studies, and data handling experience (comprehensive pathology).

• Internships are offered for the following duration:
  • One-day job shadowing for veterinary students
  • Few weeks to several months for veterinary graduates or students currently in a pathology PhD training or residency program (Important: this type of internship is to date not registered as an official training accepted as resident training for the ECVP board preparation)..

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An official application for an internship generally includes a CV and a letter of motivation. Financial assistance cannot be provided by the ESTP but may be available from the respective company.

For any further information including contacts to laboratories willing to offer internships, please do not hesitate to contact us by email using  the contact tool at https://www.eurotoxpath.org/nextgen/index.php