OBERON press release

Towards a Better System for Identifying Endocrine Disruptors

Coordinated by Inserm, the European project OBERON aims to develop panels of tests that will – eventually – make it possible to determine with more accuracy and certitude how compounds suspected of being endocrine disruptors might induce metabolic disorders and, ultimately, to identify these compounds.

In order to improve the knowledge and identification of substances suspected of being endocrine disruptors (EDs), the European Union is funding the OBERON program (Integrative strategy of testing systems for the identification of endocrine disruptors related to metabolic disorders). The objective? Build a panel of tests for studying the effects of these substances on the metabolic system and prepare the validation of the most promising tests. These can then be used in a regulatory framework to reveal these harmful effects and analyze the various biological steps leading to them, particularly those that involve the endocrine system. A better understanding of these steps will enable Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) to be established for each substance.