Challenging Dose-Response Dogma
Hormesis presents a good model for toxicological risk assessment – and it’s not homeopathy
Edward J. Calabrese, The Scientist, Volume 19:3:22, Feb. 14, 2005
The central pillar upon which toxicological assessments are built is the dose-response relationship. But reliance on theoretical prediction models for dose response creates a wolf-crying atmosphere that generates fear and superfluous costs to the public. A better alternative exists, however. A rich vein of data supports hormetic dose-response modeling, which allows for the observation that some toxins, in small amounts, confer benefits rather than harm.
Having been relegated for years to the toxicological waste heap by misconception and inertia, hormesis is regaining respect, and I believe that such modeling will replace the outmoded standards in toxicology and may ultimately influence most areas of biological research.