On May 24, the board will meet to discuss and review NTP activities. Among the agenda items is a discussion of testing recommendations for future studies- with opportunity for comment from the public. The public event will be at the NTP's headquarters, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in the Rodbell auditorium of the Rall building, the NIEHS' main administrative and laboratory facility 111 T. W. Alexander drive, Research Triangle Park, N.C. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m.

At the meeting, the board will review the current activities and status of the NTP Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction and will discuss and hear public comment on recommendations for future NTP study in several areas including DNA-based therapies, dietary supplements, cellular phone radiation emissions and occupational chemicals. The Food and Drug Administration has nominated for safety testing a class of DNA-derived vaccines and gene therapies not yet generally available, as well as the radio frequency radiation emissions from cellular phones.

Early studies of DNA-based products involved critically ill patients in whom long-term safety was a secondary issue. However, more recently, DNA vaccines and synthetic oligos have been developed for use in relatively healthy children and adults, making long-term safety a dominant concern.

Cellular phones are regulated by the FDA as radiologic devices. There are now 80 million American users of cell phones, with 25,000 being added each day. However, FDA is concerned about the adequacy of the data for making regulatory decisions about these evolving devices. For further information on the cellular phone request contact Russell Owen at FDA, 301-443-7118.

Also to be discussed at the May 24 meeting:

The National Cancer Institute has requested the testing of two substances sometimes used in dietary supplements and of a chemical, potassium ferricyanide, used in
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Contact: NTP
lange@niehs.nih.gov
919-541-0530
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
15-May-2000