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Volume 10, Issue 3  

Webinar Announcement:

Current Perspectives and New Directions Using The Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability Assay (BCOP): Applications in the Regulatory Arena

 
December 15, 2011  10:00-11:00 EST

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Hans Raabe (IIVS) and guest speaker Susanne Kolle (BASF) will highlight the development and use of the BCOP assay and look at current practices such as histology as an adjunct to the opacity and permeability endpoints. Limitations of the assay, validation status and regulatory acceptance will also be presented.


The Webinar is complimentary but registration is required. For more information and to register please visit www.iivs.org.
 

 

Science

In Vitro Skin Irritation Testing:
Strategies for Assessing Corrosion and Irritation Potential

 

Topical application on a 3D tissueThe testing of chemicals for skin irritation after an acute exposure is considered to be among the simplest of toxicology endpoints to evaluate. Historically, this process simply involved putting the chemicals of interest on the skin of a rabbit, according to the procedures described by Draize and Woodard, and observing the result. However, animal welfare concerns and uncertainty of the relevance of extrapolating rabbit test data to the human experience have brought the relevance of the rabbit test into question. With the introduction and validation of a variety of non-animal methods to identify and classify skin irritants and non-irritants, the study design process has become slightly more complex. But by considering what the project goals are, the following guidance can make the process very manageable and the resulting data extremely useful.  Read more 

 

 

 

EDUCATION
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Participants will attend highly informative lectures given by experts in the field while gaining hands-on laboratory experience and instruction in the practical application of the lecture topics.


Topics for the 3 and a half day course include:
* International regulatory acceptance status of in vitro assays
* Predicting organ specific toxicity (e.g. ocular, dermal, hepatic)
* Using cell and organ culture models with histological, biochemical and molecular endpoints
* Data interpretation


Who should attend
The course is useful for technicians, toxicologists,
managers, and directors.


Limited Space Available
Please visit www.iivs.org to Register


"My goal was to better understand how these tests are run and the rational behind them. I
learned all that and how to interpret the data. It really was a very helpful course." 
- Past Participant


OUTREACH
IIVS Practical Workshop for Alternative Methods in Brazil
November 16 -18, 2011

Goi�nia, Universidade Federal de Goi�s 

 

     

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Organized by IIVS and SeCAM (Services & Consultation for Alternative Methods) with the assistance of a local organizing committee

  

In recent years Brazil has shown an increasing interest in the applicability  and use of alternative methods to animal testing. In 2008 new legislation was adopted that regulated the use of animals for scientific purposes and required monitoring of implementation of alternative methods (Law n. 11.794, 200). Since that time several companies have been established that promote the use of in vitro testing and, more recently, a Brazilian Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM) has been created. However, since information on the current international state-of-the art of alternative methods is not always easily accessible, Brazilian scientists have expressed an interest in learning more about the regulatory application of in vitro test methods. In response, IIVS and SeCAM joined forces to plan a series of practical workshops with the help of a local organizing committee. The aim is to provide scientists with a theoretical and practical understanding of the application, laboratory procedures and data interpretation of in vitro methods.

  

 

The first workshop will be held at the Federal University of Goi�s and is open to scientists from government, industry and academia to promote harmonization across sectors. The program will consist of a combination of lectures and hands-on demonstrations of several in vitro methods including:

 

*Eye irritation: OECD TG 437 (BCOP)
*Phototoxicity: OECD TG 432 (3T3NRU)
*Skin Corrosion: OECD TG 435 (Membrane barrier test)
*Starting doses for acute toxicity: OECD TG 129 (3T3 NRU)

For more information please visit the workshop web-site (Please note that although much of the text is in Portuguese, a program in English is available).  

 

News and Upcoming Events
News: 

Horst Spielmann Awarded the Golden Badge of Honor

Prof. Dr. med. Spielmann was honored by the Deutschen Tierschutzbund (German Animal Protection Society) and awarded their Goldene Ehrennadel (Golden Badge of Honor) for his commitment and services towards animal protection and welfare.    

   

Colgate-Palmolive tops Peta's new list - "Working for Regulatory Change" - which recognizes companies working to end government-mandated in vivo tests.    

  

Martin Stephens, Ph.D., a founding member of the AltTox management team, editorial board, and moderator group, has moved from the Humane Society of the United States to the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, where his primary responsibility will be advancing evidence-based toxicology.  

  

The Dr Hadwen Trust (DHT) 2011 call for grants has been launched. Researchers looking for funding into methods and technologies that can replace the use of animals in medical research are invited to submit a preliminary application to the DHT.

The relevant information and forms can be found on their website.    

  

  

Recent Publications:

Gertrude-Emilia Costin (et al.) (2011) Vaginal Irritation Models: The Current Status of Available Alternative and In Vitro Tests , ATLA 39, 317-337

 


Upcoming Events:    

 

November 8 - 9, 2011, Liverpool, England, UK
 

EPAA Annual Conference: Integrated Testing Strategies and Their Impact on the 3Rs  

November 9th, 2011, Brussels, Belgium   

 

ECOPA Conference    

10-11 November 2011, Madrid, Spain     

   

Sens-it-iv End Congress: The Sens-it-iv Tool Box and Scientific Spin-offs 

Pre-meeting: "T-cells as Tools in Diagnostics and Immunotoxicology" 

November 23 - 25, 2011, Brussels, Belgium  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


"In my dealings with your team members,  the professionalism,  collaborative spirit, friendliness, & integrity of IIVS shines through in virtually every interaction."

IIVS Collaborator

     

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to learn what we can do to help you grow or establish an in vitro program

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 EU Commission Reports on Progress In the Development of Alternative Methods for Cosmetics

 

 

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In September, the European Commission presented its yearly report on
to the European Parliament and Council. Based on the findings of scientific experts in the field, the report states that full replacement of animal tests will not be possible by the proposed 2013 deadline.

 

    

The lack of replacement methods does not mean that the Commission will necessarily postpone the deadline. The Commission is currently assessing the impact of the ban without alternatives and will decide next steps on the basis of that assessment. The Commission is expected to announce its decision by the end of 2011   

 

 

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 Updated computational toxicology and modelling section now available on the EU's Institute for Health and Consumer Protection  (IHCP) web site

  • Background information on non-testing methods
  • Information on QSAR reporting formats  
  • List of IHCP publications and other resources
  • Freely available computational tools  

 Click here to visit site  

Summary of Alternative Test Methods Available on ICCVAM Website

 

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A current summary of the status of ongoing and completed NICEATM-ICCVAM alternative test method evaluation projects for which U.S. regulatory agency endorsement has been received or is pending is available on the web-site.  

Projects to which NICEATM, ICCVAM, and agency scientists are contributing are also highlighted 

 



American Society for Cellular and

Computational Toxicology

 

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Missed ASCCT's Effectopedia Webinar?

Click here to listen to a recording  

 

 

 Learn more about the society and its activities at

www.ascctox.org