The purpose and aim of the Competence Centre of Toxicology is the study of health risks and diseases after exposure to carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproductive toxicants and the development of methods for the prevention and diagnosis of cancer and reproductive disorders. The overall aim is to assist and support the social insurance carriers, especially those of the accident insurance system, with their tasks. Particular focus is on chemically-induced diseases of the urogenital, respiratory and (neuro)endocrine system. All aspects in the dose-response continuum including exposure routes, metabolism, excretion, mode-of-action and disease characteristics on the molecular level are studied in vivo and in vitro. For this purpose, biomarker-based approaches are developed and used. The overall aim is to correctly assess exposure and to early detect disease in individuals, groups of individuals or populations thus increasing safety and health, improving the chances of cure and quality of life.
The Competence Centre of Toxicology is divided into the following sections: