Hattis D
Marsh Institute Center for Technology, Environment and Development (CENTED), Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
Toxicology. 1996 Jul 17;111(1-3):5-14. doi: 10.1016/0300-483x(96)03388-4.
It is unusual to find variability issues as the central focus of a scientific conference. The discussion below first suggests why variability has often been an "annoying detail" in both basic animal toxicology and the human testing of new drugs. Then it gives some reasons why improved quantitative variability information is likely to be important. Better definition of the sources and magnitude of variability in susceptibility in the human population is a central issue for, (1) making more quantitative estimates of both cancer and non-cancer risks from occupational and environmental exposures, and (2) designing protocols for the use of drugs that maximize benefits for the risks incurred in a diverse patient population. Finally, it offers some suggestions about how better variability information is to be obtained and/or extracted from existing information.
将变异性问题作为科学会议的核心焦点并不常见。以下讨论首先指出为何变异性在基础动物毒理学和新药人体试验中常常是一个“恼人的细节”。然后给出一些理由，说明为何改进的定量变异性信息可能很重要。更好地界定人群易感性变异性的来源和程度，是以下两个方面的核心问题：（1）对职业和环境暴露导致的癌症和非癌症风险进行更定量的评估；（2）设计用药方案，以使不同患者群体在承担风险的情况下获得最大益处。最后，针对如何从现有信息中获取和/或提炼出更好的变异性信息提出了一些建议。
