AOP (Adverse Outcome Pathway)
At a glance: A framework linking a molecular event to a chain ending in harm.
An AOP is a structured representation of biological events leading to adverse effects. It links a molecular initiating event through causally connected key events to an adverse outcome at a level of biological organization relevant to risk assessment. 47 AOPs support the use of data from in silico models, in vitro assays, and short-term in vivo tests. The causal links between key events can be formally assessed through weight-of-evidence analyses. 48