Teratology

Two categories of collaborative studies are defined. Examples of each type are presented through teratologic studies conducted at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in collaboration with an Environmental Protection Agency laboratory and a laboratory in the USSR. These studies and the few pertinent studies found in the literature point out the problem of obtaining repeatability and uniformity of results among tests conducted to determine teratogenic potential. Collaborating laboratories should take more time to select the procedures to be used, to standardize the intended protocol in greater detail, to train participating personnel uniformly, and to test for repeatability by use of a known teratogen, before tackling major interests. Establishment of an archives would improve duplication of published results by making available additional pertinent unpublished information. Finally, possible advantages of collaborative studies for the testing of teratogenic potential are offered.