Toxic effect onset and evaluations of medicinal drugs - horizon for Darwinian toxicological thought -

Abstract

The theory of Darwinian Medicine linked to an extension of Darwin’s evolutionary theory is based on the approach from the aspect of “why we become ill?”. This theory enables us to understand the relationship between humans and diseases by thinking from evolutional perspective, shows an important help for preventive medicine, and is meaningful to consider the future human healthcare. Toxicology has been defined as a research of adverse effect of xenobiotic substances backed up by diverse-sciences. Toxic effects are basically responses to xenobiotic substances, and expressed as triggering or additional accelerating adverse effects toward abnormal condition. Toxic effects, biological adverse responses, are interpreted as protective responses of living body, and the adverse effects caused by drugs are also considered to be protective responses. This logic can be translated as “Darwinian Toxicology” corresponding to “Darwinian Medicine”, replying to “why we get into toxic condition by xenobiotics exposure”. This paper refers to the meaning of toxic effects based on mechanisms underlying and comprehensive drug safety evaluation from Darwinian Medicine perspectives.