link to outreach pagelink to education pageLink to contact pageLink to outreach pageLink to education pageLink to science pagelink to home pageLink to home pagelink to science page

Volume 14 Issue 3

EPAA and IIVS Collaborate to Produce In Vitro Test Method Training Videos

 

Nathan during BCOP training video production.
IIVS Study Director Nathan Wilt prepares to dose a solid material during production of the BCOP training video.

In the fall of 2012, IIVS and the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate efforts to support the international use of non-animal testing methods. The two organizations agreed to combine resources and collaborate to promote international awareness of and education on these methods, and to provide science-based advocacy to key stakeholders. One of the recently finalized efforts between the two groups was the completion of a training video on the Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability (BCOP) assay.

 

With funding provided by the EPAA, IIVS scientists have produced a 13 minute video that demonstrates how to perform the BCOP assay according to the Test Guidelines set forth for the assay by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD TG 437). The video focuses on steps that are critical to the success of the assay such as handling of the isolated cornea and removal of the test material from the cornea at the conclusion of the exposure time. The completed video, with English subtitles, will be made freely available on the EPAA website. The subtitles are currently being translated into Chinese and Portuguese. Versions of the video with subtitles in these languages should be available on the EPAA website before the end of the year. The next training video effort will be focused on the 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Assay.  

SCIENCE
Predicting Eye Stinging using the Novel NociOcular Assay: Investigating Surfactant, Sunscreen, and Ophthalmic Products  

The evaluation of ocular irritation potential is of primary importance for the safety assessment of products that are designed to be used in or around the eyes such as cosmetics, sunscreens, and ophthalmic products. In addition, testing for erythema, lacrimation, and the potential to cause stinging is often conducted on baby products such as shampoo and sunscreen to ensure the absense of irritation and pain associated with their use. Although several in vitro eye irritation assays are available, none of these assays can effectively predict the stinging potential of products which may come in contact with the eyes.  In collaboration with Dr. Anna Forsby at Stockholm University and Johnson & Johnson Consumer and Personal Products Worldwide, IIVS has investigated the use of the NociOcular assay for eye sting prediction. Follow this link to read the full article.  
EDUCATION
Corrositex Training Presented in Prague

Hans Raabe, Vice-President of IIVS, presented
Hans at World Congress Training
IIVS Vice-President Hans Raabe oversees training on the Corrositex assay at the 9th World Congress
training on the Corrositex assay (assay kits generously donated by In Vitro International) during the 9th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences satellite training course on alternative methods. The course was organized by the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV), The European Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EUSAAT), and the Czech Republic National Institute of Public Health (SZU). The focus of the training was in vitro skin and eye toxicology. Lectures on skin irritation/corrosion testing using reconstructed human tissue models, the Corrositex assay, and eye irritation testing using the HET-CAM assay were presented on Thursday August 28th after the conclusion of the World Congress meeting. Hands-on laboratory activities took place the following day. The training was hosted at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) campus and was geared toward students and scientists at the beginning of their career in in vitro toxicology. This year's post-World Congress training was highly successful with attendees representing many different industries and countries.  

IIVS will be hosting its annual Practical Methods for In Vitro Toxicology Workshop in January of 2015. Early bird discounted registration ends November 1st. Please click the image below to view details and to register.   


 
OUTREACH
IIVS Presentations at Several Industry Events

 

IIVS was actively involved in the 9th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (WC9) this past August in Prague, Czech Republic. IIVS Vice-President Erin Hill presented a talk on the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) and its recent work promoting advances in in vitro and in silico toxicology during the Global Cooperation, Regulatory Acceptance and Standardization theme. IIVS President Dr. Rodger Curren served as a co-chair and speaker with Nick Jukes of InterNICHE for session 6 of the same theme titled "Breaking Down Barriers and Promoting International Cooperation on 3Rs". In addition to these activities, IIVS scientists presented a number of posters (linked directly in the "Recent Publications" section below) and participated in the post-congress hands-on training (described in the "Education" section above). According to the WC9 website, this meeting had the largest number of attendees to date of any World Congress event. The meeting organizers feel that they met their goal of providing an international forum for discussing progress in promoting the 3Rs concept and implementing "Humane Science in the 21st Century". The feedback received from attendees was positive and photographs from the event are available on the WC9 website. 

 

IIVS Study Director Dr. Gertrude-Emilia Costin was invited to speak at a two day conference at the end of September in Washington D.C. on US/Global Biocides (Antimicrobials) Regulations. The meeting brought together experts from the US, Asia, and Europe to discuss the latest developments in the regulation of biocides/antimicrobials. The meeting was organized by Chemical Watch and included presentations by representatives from regulatory agencies such as the US EPA and Health Canada, and industry representatives from companies like The Clorox Company and EcoLab. Dr. Costin's presentation centered on the new, non-animal based hazard identification strategy for ocular irritation of antimicrobial cleaning products. For information on this topic, or on how you can get involved in the latest efforts to develop a similar strategy for the detection of potential skin irritation of antimicrobial cleaning products, please contact Emilia at [email protected].

Chemical Watch and the PETA International Science Consortium, Ltd. (PISC) are co-sponsoring a free series of REACH focused webinars. The webinars will present alternative methods and testing strategies that can be used to meet REACH requirements. They are intended for industry toxicologists, individuals who may be registering chemicals for the first time, and companies that would like to know more about the validated non-animal tests available and how they are currently used. Dr. Costin will present on skin irritation and corrosion on November 11 at 11:00am EST. She will describe the in vitro methods that can be used to meet REACH data requirements for skin irritation and corrosion under Annexes VII and VIII. Dr. Costanza Rovide, of REACH Mastery and CAAT Europe, will explain how the in vitro methods can be used in an integrated approach to testing and assessment using specific examples. Please follow this link to the PISC webinar registration sight to register to attend this event and for information on future webinars in this series.
Recent Publications
Posters Presented during the 9th World Congress

IIVS presented several posters at the 9th World Congress in Prague at the end of August. Please click the titles below to view pdfs of the posters of interest. Our study directors are available to speak with you if you have any additional questions about these test methods or how they can fit into your testing program.     

  

 

   

 

 

 

 

Tobacco Science Regulatory Conference 

 

IIVS Principal Scientist, Dr. Holger Behrsing, presented his work on the Use of Precision-cut Lung Slices to Assess Inflammation, Parenchymal Damage, and Collagen Deposition: Three Markers of Tobacco Exposure-induced Pulmonary Toxicity at the September 28-October 1 Tobacco Science Regulatory Conference (TSRC) meeting in Charlottesville, VA. Please select the poster title above to be directed to our website where you can download the poster.   

 

Upcoming Events
Green Toxicology
October 23
Empa, D�bendorf, Switzerland

PCPC Science Symposium and Expo 2014

October 28-29
Elizabeth, NJ, US

RIFM's 48th Annual Meeting
November 5

Rivervale, NJ, US


American College of Toxicology 2014 Annual Meeting

November 8

Lake Bueno Vista, FL, US

  

In Vitro Toxicology Society 2014 Annual Meeting

November 10-11

Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK   

  

American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) 3rd Annual Meeting - Where Chemistry and Biology Meet: AOPs as a Framework for Advancing Toxicology

November 12

Bethesda, MD, US

  

Functional Analysis and Screening Technologies

November 17-19

Boston, MA, US

 

2nd High Throughput Cell Biology: from Screening to Applications

November 17-18

Paris, France

  

EPAA Annual Conference 2014: Giving Europe a Head Start: How to Facilitate the Use of Alternative Methods by Regulators 

November 19

Brussels, Belgium

  

The Emergence of Systematic Review and Related Evidence-based Approaches in Toxicology: an EBTC Workshop

November 21

Baltimore, MD, US

      

Animal Replacement Science 2014: Improving relevance to human disease - challenges, innovations and applications

November 27

London, UK


Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments (JSAAE) 27th Annual Meeting

December 5-7

Yokohama, Japan 

    

December 8-10

Bethesda, MD, US  

Congratulations
Dr. Martin Stephens Receives the 2014 Russell and Burch Award

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) presents the Russell and Burch Award to scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of alternative methods in the areas of biomedical research, testing, or higher education. The award is named in honor of William Russell and Rex Burch who formulated the 3Rs approach of replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use. Dr. Stephens, Senior Research Associate at CAAT, was presented this year's Russell and Burch Award at the 9th World Congress in recognition of his 30 years of work toward advancing in vitro toxicology and, most recently, his work on the influential report "Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy". Dr. Stephens has been a long-time supporter of IIVS and past member of our Scientific Advisory Panel.

2014 Bjorn Ekwall Memorial Award Presented to Dr. Tuula Heinonen 
 
Bjorn Ekwall performed studies in the 1970's that indicated that cell cultures could be used for the evaluation of a chemical's toxicity. He initiated the MEIC (Multicenter Evaluation of In Vitro Cytotoxicity) project to evaluate the usefulness of in vitro tests for the estimation of human acute systemic toxicity. He also founded the Scandinavian Society for Cell Toxicology (SSCT) to promote collaboration between Scandinavian cell toxicologists. To honor the memory of Dr. Ekwall and to recognize the achievements of in vitro toxicologists, the SCCT presents the Bjorn Ekwall Memorial Award annually to an international researcher who has significantly contributed to the field of cell toxicology. Dr. Tuula Heinonen, University of Tamperer, Finland, and Director of the Finnish Center for Alternative Methods (FICAM), is the recipient of the award this year in recognition of her achievements in promotion and implementation of alternative methods by developing human cell based tissue/organ models and for establishing FICAM.

Congratulations to both Dr. Heinonen and Dr. Stephens on your well-deserved recognition! 
 

PCPC Cosmetics Science Symposium & Expo

October  28-29

Elizabeth, NJ  

 

A key topic of this year's Science Symposium is skin sensitization. Visit the IIVS booth to meet with Dr. Kimberly Norman, Study Director for IIVS' sensitization program, to see how these useful in vitro methods can be incorporated into your safety assessment program. To schedule a meeting, please contact Rachelle Romano at [email protected]. Visit the PCPC meeting website to learn more.



ASCCT 3rd Annual Meeting

 
November  12

Bethesda, MD  

 

Join several members of IIVS' staff at this year's American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology Annual Meeting - Where Chemistry and Biology Meet: AOPs as a Framework for Advancing Toxicology. We will be presenting posters titled: "Predicting Eye Stinging Using the Novel NociOcular Assay" and "Preliminary Investigation on Reducing Ocular Irritation Potential of Harsh Ingredients by Increasing Formulation Viscosity". More information on the meeting can be found in the ASCCT information box below. Please visit the website to register to attend. 




Show Your Support Hand shake 2
  Support IIVS in its mission to develop new in vitro technologies.

 Make a Donation to IIVS Today! 

IIVS Contributors


 


Connect with us!


Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook View our profile on LinkedIn

 
Cosmetics Design has made their "SkinCare Ingredients 2014" webinar available for viewing on their website. During the webinar, Dr. Rodger Curren discusses how IIVS interacts with Chinese laboratories and regulatory agencies to provide training on in vitro methods. He also discusses the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding between IIVS and China's National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), a subordinate agency of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). Follow the link above to view Dr. Curren's presentation, along with a presentation by April Guo, Head of Cosmetics Regulatory Affairs at the Chemical Inspection and Regulation Service (CIRS). 

 
JMP14.3
 
IIVS staff and family were honored to participate in a 14.3 mile run along the C&O canal from Great Falls, Maryland into Georgetown, Washington D.C. in honor of the memory of Dr. John Pletcher. Dr. Pletcher was a long-standing colleague of IIVS while he served as a Senior Scientific Director of Pathology Associates, Inc. (now Charles River Laboratories) in Frederick, Maryland. Funds received from this event were donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

 

 In support of European Union legislation on safety of chemicals, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published a review of test methods and computational approaches that help promote the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal experiments in the safety assessment of chemicals. The report "Alternative Methods for Regulatory Toxicology - A State-of-the-Art Review" focuses on "non-standard" methods which are those methods not included in current regulatory guidelines. The review was prepared by the JRC's European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM) in collaboration with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). 

 The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has launched the AOP Wiki, a resource for developing and sharing adverse outcome pathways (AOPs). The AOP Wiki is the first module of the OECD Adverse Outcome Pathways Knowledge Base, which will provide a focal point for AOP development and dissemination. Information about the AOP Wiki and a User Handbook is available on the OECD website.    
  



The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is accepting submissions through November 14 for the 2014 Tox21 Data Challenge. The goal of the Challenge is to "crowdsource" analysis of Tox21 data by independent researchers to reveal how well they can predict compound interference in biochemical pathways using only chemical structure data.  Information about the Challenge and a link to data downloads are available on the NIH website   

ASCCT Banner

American Society for Cellular and

Computational Toxicology

     

Join us in Bethesda, MD for this year's ASCCT Annual Meeting - Where Chemistry and Biology Meet: AOPs as a Framework for Advancing Toxicology. Listen to lectures on topics such as Adverse Event Pathways in Regulatory Decision Making, and view posters relevant to non-animal toxicological science. We hope to see you at the meeting and post-meeting reception. Please visit the ASCCT annual meeting website to register.

www.ascctox.org