Endocrine Insider
August 15, 2007

The Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR) of the National Toxicology Program has established an expert panel to review the state of the science on the reproductive and developmental toxicity of Bisphenol A (BPA). CERHR formed the 12-member panel to review the current literature to determine where conclusions can be drawn regarding potential risk and where data are lacking to draw any conclusions. The panel met for the second and final time August 6-8 in Alexandria, VA. Society representatives were on hand to hear the panel’s conclusions and recommendations.

The panel was asked to comment on specific end points and to relate these endpoints to an estimated level of exposure in determining its concerns regarding risk to human health and reproduction. In addition to identifying areas of concern, the panel was asked to specify areas of critical data needs and directions in which research should proceed. Some areas of critical data needs identified by the panel include:

• Neural and behavioral endpoints
• Studies on the effect of adult exposure to reproduction and development, including changes in hormone patterns
• Exhaustive human exposure assessment
• Physiologically based and pharmacokinetic models
• Effects on prostate and mammary gland development
• Altered puberty
• Relevance of membrane receptor binding
• Inter-laboratory replication of studies
• More work on urinary tract after developmental exposure

The draft report will be posted on the CERHR Web site for public comment in about a month. For more information about the August 6-8 meeting, including a meeting summary with areas of concern expressed by the panel, visit: http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/bisphenol-mtg.html.