December 2016
Trends in Regenerative Medicine: Repigmentation in Vitiligo Through Melanocyte Stem Cell Mobilization
December 28, 2016Vitiligo is the most frequent human pigmentary disorder, characterized by progressive autoimmune destruction of mature epidermal melanocytes. Of the current treatments offering partial and temporary relief, ultraviolet (UV) light is the most effective, coordinating an intricate network of keratinocyte and melanocyte factors that control numerous cellular and molecular signaling pathways. Read the full article....
EPA Announces Start of Voluntary Pilot Program to Reduce Animal Testing
December 22, 2016On December 20, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)announced the start of a pilot program to evaluate the usefulness and acceptability of a mathematical tool (the GHS Mixtures Equation), which is used in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). EPA states that the goal of the pilot program is to “evaluate the utility and acceptability of the GHS Mixtures Equation as an alternative to animal oral and inhalation toxicity studies for pesticide formulations.”...
Dutch Government Announces Plan to Phase Out Animal Safety Testing by 2025
December 22, 2016PETA UK and PETA Netherlands staff attended a meeting in Hague last week at which Dutch Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Martijn van Dam announced his intention for the Netherlands to end the use of animals in safety tests for chemicals, food ingredients, pesticides, veterinary medicines, and vaccines by 2025. This means that mice, rats, rabbits, and other animals will no longer have these substances forced down their throats or injected into their bodies, causing sickness, convulsions, diarrhoea, haemorrhaging,...
Director of CFDA, National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) Visits IIVS
December 15, 2016Composed of 11 technical institutes, the NIFDC is responsible for the registration and post market surveillance of drugs, traditional Chinese medicines, medical devices, food and cosmetics. In addition to inspecting and testing these products for safety, the NIFDC publishes National Reference Standards for testing methods (such as the newly published standard for the In Vitro 3T3 NRU Phototoxicity test) and provides technical assistance and guidance for provincial control institutes. Dr. Li Bo, Director of the NIFDC, visited IIVS to gain a...
First Non-Animal Test Method Accepted by China FDA
December 1, 2016IIVS and stakeholders around the world welcomed the announcement last month by the CFDA that data from a non-animal test method can now be used to substantiate the safety of cosmetics made in China. The test, known as the In Vitro 3T3 NRU Phototoxicity Test (OECD Test Guideline 432), measures a chemical's potential to cause harm after exposure to light. The announcement came shortly after the 4th annual training of CFDA provincial regulators by IIVS scientists in Hangzhou, China. These annual...