ESTIV 2026: Ensuring Safety, Advancing Science – Bridging to the Future with NAMs

Submission deadline: 31 December 2026

The Toxicology in Vitro Special Issue linked to ESTIV 2026 brings together selected papers from the congress, highlighting cutting-edge research presented in Maastricht from 29 June to 2 July 2026. Aligned with the theme “Ensuring Safety, Advancing Science: Bridging to the Future with NAMs.

Guest editors:

Dr Helena Kandarova, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, SAS

Dr Luiz Ladeira, Biomechanics Research Unit, GIGA Institute, University of Liège

Assistant Prof. Mohamed Fathi Abdallah, Aarhus University, Denmark

Special issue information:

This Special Issue of Toxicology in Vitro is dedicated to selected contributions arising from the 23rd International Congress of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV 2026), held in Maastricht, the Netherlands, from 29 June to 2 July 2026. Aligned with the congress theme, “Ensuring Safety, Advancing Science: Bridging to the Future with NAMs,” the issue will reflect the rapidly evolving landscape of toxicology, with particular emphasis on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) as drivers of scientific innovation, human-relevant safety assessment, and regulatory transformation.
The Special Issue welcomes high-quality papers that advance the development, validation, qualification, standardisation, interpretation, and application of NAMs across toxicological disciplines. Topics within scope include, but are not limited to, advanced in vitro models, three-dimensional and organotypic tissue systems, microphysiological systems and organ-on-chip platforms, stem cell-based and patient-relevant models, mechanistic and pathway-based toxicology, systems toxicology, omics-based approaches, imaging-based methods, and computational toxicology, including in silico modelling, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and integrated approaches to testing and assessment.

The issue will also cover research supporting the use of NAMs in regulatory science and decision-making, including studies addressing reproducibility, transferability, fit-for-purpose validation, benchmark dose and quantitative approaches, defined approaches, adverse outcome pathways, exposure-informed testing, and strategies that improve confidence in non-animal methods for chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and medical device safety assessment. Contributions that strengthen the bridge between scientific innovation and regulatory acceptance are especially encouraged, in keeping with ESTIV 2026’s focus on real-world implementation and cross-sector relevance.

Consistent with the broader ESTIV 2026 programme, the Special Issue aims to highlight work that connects disciplines, sectors, and stakeholders. It therefore welcomes contributions from academia, industry, regulatory institutions, and collaborative initiatives that demonstrate how NAMs can improve predictive power, mechanistic understanding, efficiency, data quality, and ethical standards in modern toxicology. Papers addressing FAIR data practices, research output management, and other enabling frameworks that support reproducibility, transparency, long-term reuse, and regulatory uptake are also within scope.

Through this collection, the Special Issue seeks to capture the scientific depth and collaborative spirit of ESTIV 2026, while providing a platform for forward-looking contributions that help shape a more predictive, mechanistically informed, and human-relevant future for toxicology.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission site: Editorial Manager

Article type: VSI: ESTIV 2026

Submission due date: 31 December 2026

Keywords:

New Approach Methodologies (NAMs); in vitro toxicology; non-animal methods; human-relevant models; 3D tissue models; organ-on-chip; microphysiological systems; mechanistic toxicology; systems toxicology; omics; computational toxicology