The 22nd International Congress on In Vitro Toxicology (ESTIV 2024) was held in the historic and picturesque city of Prague from 3 to 6 June 2024. Centred on the pivotal theme, “The Application of NAMs in Drug Discovery and Drug and Chemical Safety Assessment,” the congress provided a dynamic platform for professionals to present and discuss the latest advances and research in the field of in vitro, in silico, and alternative methods (NAMs).

The present Virtual Special Issue (VSI ESTIV 2024) includes selected contributions from participants of the ESTIV 2024 Congress submitted to Toxicology in Vitro. All manuscripts underwent the journal’s usual peer-review, revision, and production procedures. Once accepted, articles were published online immediately after final preparation and did not need to wait for the completion of the full issue. The published papers were subsequently assembled under the Virtual Special Issue, thereby creating a focused collection of congress-related contributions within the journal.

The Articles of the special virtual issue ESTIV 2024 are summarized below:

1. Editorial: ESTIV 2024: The Application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in Drug Discovery and Drug and Chemical Safety Assessment
   Helena Kandárová, Markéta Dvořáková, Benoît Maisonneuve, May 2026
2. Editorial: ESTIV early career network: A growing initiative to support the next generation of NAMs-oriented toxicologists
   Mohamed F. Abdallah, Luiz Ladeira, Peter Pôbiš, Andreas O. Stucki, Bambou Xuezhu Tan, Benoît Maisonneuve, Clive Roper, Helena Kanďárová, May 2026
3. Research article: Isolation and characterization of bovine Limbal mesenchymal stromal cells for application in ocular toxicity studies
   Martina Daniela Benedetti, Mariela Lenze, Mora Renée García, Sofía Fátima Magaña Guerrero, Silvia Wikinski, Yonathan Garfias, María Laura Gutiérrez, December 2025
4. Research article: Employing histopathology to enhance the BCOP test: The emerging role of stromal thickness as a quantitative endpoint
   Martín Nicolás Rivero, Mariela Lenze, Martina Daniela Benedetti, Mora Renée García, Romina Martínez, Silvia Wikinski, María Laura Gutiérrez, December 2025
5. Research article: CiPA-qualified human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes: A new frontier in toxicity testing by evaluating drug-induced arrhythmias
   Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Konala, Rutuja Kuhikar, Shruti More, Matthias Gossmann, Bettina Lickiss, Peter Linder, Jaganmay Sarkar, Paresh Bhanushali Amit Khanna, October 2025
6. Research article: In vitro human skin absorption of ethyl salicylate, pentyl salicylate, and (Z)-3-hexenyl salicylate from topical formulations: Effects on permeation and distribution
   Kaushal Joshi, Darren M. Green, A. Christian Jones, Sophie E. Davies, Sophie G. Stocks, Arianna P. Bartlett, Anne Marie Api, April 2025
7. Research article: Exploring the potential of reconstructed human epithelial tissue models for safety assessment of intraoral medical devices
   Peter Pôbiš, Tatiana Milasová, Helena Kandárová, April 2025

ESTIV would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to all contributors to the congress and to this special issue, which highlights some of the science and activities that took place during the congress.