Archive
IIVS Receives Support for Non-Animal Testing From RIFM
September 9, 2019September 10, 2019, Gaithersburg, MD – The Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc. (IIVS) is excited to announce that it has received a grant from the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) to support its mission to promote non-animal methods. The grant will be used to purchase equipment that will enable IIVS to expand capabilities and offer several non-animal tests in compliance with Good Laboratory Practices. “RIFM and IIVS have a long history of working together to identify non-animal testing approaches...
Australian Bill Passed to End Animal Testing for Cosmetics
February 21, 2019Measures outlined in the Industrial Chemicals Bill 2017, passed by the Australian senate on 19 February, 2019, will apply to both imported and Australian produced chemicals for use as cosmetic ingredients. The commencement date is set for July 2020 although it is believed that the cosmetics industry will not need an entire year to implement changes to comply with the new law. Additionally, the bill includes funding for the development of alternative test methods. Read the full article....
ARE-Nrf2 Luciferase Keratinocyte Activation Test Method (OECD 442D)
October 18, 2018KeratinoSensTM is a cell-based reporter gene assay that models the second key event in the Adverse Outcome Pathway for Dermal Sensitization (keratinocyte activation). The assay measures the induction of a stably transfected luciferase gene under the control of the antioxidant response element (ARE) derived from the human AKR1C2 gene. Following the methodology described in OECD Test Guideline 497, KeratinoSens is an alternative to animal testing methods necessary for the purpose of hazard identification. In conjunction with other in vitro tests, the results of this assay...
Defined Approaches for EPA Testing
July 26, 2018The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) continues to drive significant efforts in the United States to modernize the battery of acute toxicity tests classically known as the “6-pack.” Known for many years as an “all in vivo” testing strategy for products registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the 6-pack was revised in 2015 to include non-animal (in vitro/ex vivo) test methods for classification and labeling for Eye Irritation, both for commonly used household cleaning products...
Toxicity Testing: Read Between the Lines
April 13, 2017Skin toxicity testing was the focus of a full-day seminar held during In-Cosmetics 2017. Attendees learned about everything from skin absorption and metabolism, to cytotoxicity, phototoxicity and sensitization. IIVS Study Director, Dr. Tinashe Ruwona, presented on integrated testing strategies to evaluate the skin sensitization potential of cosmetics. However, the biggest take-away from the seminar seemed to rest on how well the results of a study are understood. Read the full article. ...
IIVS Attends In-Cosmetics Global
April 4, 2017IIVS President, Erin Hill, and Study Director, Tinashe Ruwona are attending the In-Cosmetics Global meeting, April 4-6, in London. Dr. Ruwona, who leads our skin sensitization screening program, presented during the Skin Toxicology Workshop. His presentation, "Integrated Testing Strategies for Assessing the Skin Sensitization Potential of Cosmetics", Dr. Ruwona explores the various test methods and how best to combine them to ensure consumer safety. Read more....
In Vitro Assessment of Skin Irritation Potential of Surfactant-based Formulations by Using a 3-D Skin Reconstructed Tissue Model and Cytokine Response
January 24, 2017The personal care industry is focused on developing safe, more efficacious, and increasingly milder products, that are routinely undergoing preclinical and clinical testing before becoming available for consumer use on skin. In vitro systems based on skin reconstructed equivalents are now established for the preclinical assessment of product irritation potential and as alternative testing methods to the classic Draize rabbit skin irritation test. We have used the 3-D EpiDerm™ model system to evaluate tissue viability and primary cytokine interleukin-1α release...
Webinar: How GLPs Enhance the Quality of Regulated and Non-Regulated Toxicology
October 18, 2016This one-hour webinar, led by IIVS Director of Quality and Compliance, introduces some of the concepts of Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs) designed to promote study and data integrity within an in vitro toxicology framework. Applying these concepts within your own laboratory should aid in production of robust, repeatable studies. View Slides...
Human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT, OECD 442E)
August 24, 2016The human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT) is a cell-based assay that identifies skin sensitizers by examining changes in the expression of cell surface markers (CD54 and CD86) implicated in dendritic cell activation, the third key event of the skin sensitization AOP. Following exposure of the THP-1 human monocyte cell line to the test substance, expression levels of CD54 and CD86 are quantified by flow cytometry and compared to controls. The method has been reviewed by the European Union Reference Laboratory for...
Next Generation Tobacco Products
August 24, 2016IIVS has a long-standing history of working with various industries to help establish or utilize in vitro models for the prediction of risk and the assessment of products under development. With the Food and Drug Administration extending its authority to all tobacco products (including e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah) the tobacco industry is faced with the task of assessing product safety for product development and regulatory submission. Further, the manufacture of tobacco products may entail risk to workers that come in...