Tell us about other new alternative testing methods, available now or in the very near future, that you are aware of?
We want to hear from you about the latest innovations in technology that will help refine research using animals, reduce the numbers of animals used and ultimately replace the use of life animals in biomedical research.
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SenzaGen AB has developed and implemented the Genomic Allergen Rapid Detection (GARD) cell-based assay for the prediction of sensitizing chemicals.
By analyzing the transcriptome of the human cell line MUTZ-3 after 24 h stimulation, using 20 different sensitizing chemicals, 20 non-sensitizing chemicals and vehicle controls, a biomarker signature of 200 genes with potent discriminatory ability was identified. Using a Support Vector Machine for supervised classification, the prediction performance of the assay revealed an area under the ROC curve of 0.98.
In addition, categorizing the chemicals according to the LLNA assay, this gene signature could also predict sensitizing potency.
The identified markers are involved in biological pathways with immunological relevant functions, which can shed light on the process of human sensitization.
This simple and robust cell-based assay has the potential to completely replace or drastically reduce the utilization of test systems based on experimental animals. Being based on human biology, the assay is proposed to be more accurate for predicting sensitization in humans, than the traditional animal-based tests.
The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/12/399
Thank you Erwin for your input it is really appreciated. We will have a closer look at the full article, this looks very interesting indeed
The European Commission has released a report on the state of the art for alternative methods in respect to the cosmetic regulation implementation and the ban of the market of ingredients tested on animals. The executive summary is available here: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/sectors/cosmetics/files/pdf/animal_testing/main_findings_report_at_en.pdf
Hi François. First thank you for your input, it is really appreciated. The aim of the blog is to address the use of animals in biomedical research only. But maybe, as an expert, you have a view on alternatives in this particular field?