8.01 - Perspectives in Molecular Toxicology
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Molecular toxicology is an area of specialization within the field of toxicology concerned with unraveling the molecular basis of the biological response to harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents. Historically, the emphasis has been on chemical and physical agents. More recently, concerns with biological warfare and food contamination have heightened the interest of toxicologists in biological toxins. Of note in the context of biological agents is increasing recognition that a broad range of neurodegenerative disorders are associated with neuronal damage that may be caused by toxic, aggregation-prone proteins. The field first evolved from efforts to add resolution to the study of mechanisms of toxicity and its connection to pathogenesis by taking advantage of the tools made available by the burgeoning field of molecular biology. Indeed, such efforts reflect the maturation of toxicology as a science that dates back thousands of years.
