The project in short
RISK-HUNT3R, short for “RISK assessment of chemicals integrating HUman centric Next generation Testing strategies promoting the 3Rs”, is a European Research & Innovation project funded under the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme. The 5-year project runs from June 2021 with a funded budget of €22.9M. RISK-HUNT3R builds on the outcomes of the Horizon 2020 toxicological flagship project EU-ToxRisk, ending by the end of 2021.
Why?
Science and society are increasingly demanding a paradigm shift towards chemical safety and risk assessment without using animals. In addition to growing ethical concerns around the use of animal studies, there is the fundamental need to address all potential health effects relevant and specific to humans. In addition, due to increasing regulatory demands, the limited laboratory capacity and high costs of animal-based testing is becoming a hurdle for the provision of all desired information requirements for chemicals safety assessment.
How?
The project will develop, validate and implement integrated approaches to lead the way towards next-generation risk assessment (NGRA). Innovative mechanism-based new approach methods (NAMs) will exclusively be in vitro and in silico and relevant for human health. Through systematic and iterative evaluation of its NAM toolbox, the project will optimize a strategy to assess chemical exposure, toxicokinetics, and toxicodynamics.
RISK-HUNT3R will provide a full sustainable framework for NGRA that is human-relevant, fully based on non-animal approaches, and fit for implementation through engagement with chemical safety regulators.
Research cluster ASPIS
RISK-HUNT3R is one of three projects constituting the research cluster ASPIS (“Animal-free Safety assessment of chemicals: Project cluster for Implementation of novel Strategies”). Together with the projects ONTOX and PrecisionTOX, this will represent Europe’s €60M effort towards the sustainable, animal-free and reliable chemical risk assessment of tomorrow.
News

ASPIS Open Symposium during ESTIV Congress 24-25 November 2022
The ASPIS Open Symposium happened during the 21st European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV) Congress on 24-25 November 2022 in Sitges, Barcelona (Spain), a bi-annual appointment aiming to create a forum of scientists in a unique atmosphere for discussions...

KICK-OFF MEETING OF THE ASPIS CLUSTER
On the 3rd and 4th of November 2021, the Final Symposium of the EU-ToxRisk project was held in Brussels, Belgium, and online. The purpose of this event was for the EU-ToxRisk consortium partners to present their results, and to discuss the different strategies and...

General Assembly Meeting, 4-8 July 2022
From 4 to 8 July 2022, the General Assembly Meeting of RISK-HUNT3R took place in Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands. This event was an opportunity for the project members to discuss together progress and challenges towards NGRA, during the general assembly and parallel...