LSRO's Reduced Risk Review Biological Effects Assessment (BEA) Committee met for the first time on the FASEB Campus, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD on June 28-29, 2005. The BEA Committee members present were Mark W. Frampton, M.D., James P. Kehrer, Ph.D., Loren D. Koller, D.V.M., Ph.D., John F. Lechner, Ph.D., and Russell P. Tracy, Ph.D. BEA committee members in absentia were Carl L. Alden D.V.M. and John Ambrose, M.D. The Core Committee members present were Carroll E. Cross, M.D. and Joseph V. Rodricks, Ph.D. (3/28 only). The LSRO staff members present were Michael Falk, Ph.D., Catherine St. Hilaire, Ph.D., Daniel Byrd, Ph.D., Amy M. Brownawell, Ph.D., Paula Nixon, Ph.D., and Carmen Mones, B.A. Susan E. Boggs, Ph.D., Gary Gairola, Ph.D., and Hanspeter Witschi, Ph.D. made presentations during an information gathering session held on the first day of the meeting.

The meeting had several goals. The first was to orient the BEA committee to the project with discussions about the statement of work, project organization, and background materials. Other objectives included a review of tobacco toxicants that are harmful to human health and an evaluation of in vitro models used to analyze the biological effects of cigarette smoke. The final objective was to gather information about animal models of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that could be used to evaluate potential reduced-risk products.

Dr. Boggs provided an overview of rodent models of cigarette smoke-induced emphysema, as well as information about in vitro assays that can be used to assess the potential for lung disease.

Dr. Gairola provided an overview of tobacco smoke-mediated atherosclerosis in a mouse model and led a general discussion of other models used to study cardiovascular disease in smoke-exposed animals.

Dr. Witschi provided an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the strain A/J mouse lung tumor model and compared the A/J mouse to other rodent lung tumor models.

The next meeting of the BEA committee is scheduled for September 27-28, 2005 on the FASEB campus, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD. The morning of September 27th will be an information-gathering session that will focus on human biomarkers of harm that may be useful for evaluating potential reduced-risk products.