The <i>C. elegans</i> model in toxicity testing

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p><jats:italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</jats:italic> is a small nematode that can be maintained at low cost and handled using standard <jats:italic>in vitro</jats:italic> techniques. Unlike toxicity testing using cell cultures, <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> toxicity assays provide data from a whole animal with intact and metabolically active digestive, reproductive, endocrine, sensory and neuromuscular systems. Toxicity ranking screens in <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> have repeatedly been shown to be as predictive of rat LD<jats:sub>50</jats:sub> ranking as mouse LD<jats:sub>50</jats:sub> ranking. Additionally, many instances of conservation of mode of toxic action have been noted between <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> and mammals. These consistent correlations make the case for inclusion of <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> assays in early safety testing and as one component in tiered or integrated toxicity testing strategies, but do not indicate that nematodes alone can replace data from mammals for hazard evaluation. As with cell cultures, good <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> culture practice (GCeCP) is essential for reliable results. This article reviews <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> use in various toxicity assays, the <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> model's strengths and limitations for use in predictive toxicology, and GCeCP. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. <jats:italic>Journal of Applied Toxicology</jats:italic> published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.</jats:p>