Archive
Respiratory Toxicology
January 20, 2021The respiratory system is a complex of epithelial tissues, immune cells, and lung parenchyma. Due to the potentially long exposure periods, permeability and sensitive nature of airway regions, the tissues spanning the nasal and oropharynx to the deep lung are exceptionally susceptible to insult and damage by toxicants. Manifestations can range from asymptomatic or mild upregulation of immune mediators/cytokines and decreased cellular function to fulminant disease states (such as asthma, COPD and fibrosis) to complete system failure. As a result, knowledge...
IIVS Workshop Series: Identification, Discussion and Recommendations for the Optimal Generation and Use of In Vitro Genotoxicity Assay Data for Tobacco and Nicotine Products
October 18, 2019The Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) is sponsoring a series of workshops to identify, discuss and develop recommendations for optimal scientific/technical approaches for utilizing in vitro assay data within and across tobacco and nicotine product categories. Workshops provide a unique opportunity for invited expert stakeholders to share experiences and to develop recommendations that may serve as a resource for developing optimal approaches and data to evaluate the toxicity of tobacco and nicotine products. It is envisioned that some of...
Use of Ex Vivo Precision-Cut Lung SLices as a Screening Tool for Potential Respiratory Toxicity of E-Liquids
October 17, 2019The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA regulatory authority over next generation tobacco products (NGTP) such as E-vapor products. E-vapor product liquids contain a variety of ingredient combinations that should be assessed for human risk. One human lung-relevant testing platform with reasonable throughput, is human precision-cut lung slices (HuPCLS). HuPCLS are arguably the most complex non-animal model of the lung, retaining native architecture and immune-competent cells over multi-week culture periods. HuPCLS were exposed to three concentrations...
PETA Science Group Donates $50,000 in Equipment to IIVS
October 11, 2019Gaithersburg, Md. — Animals don't have to suffer for your cosmetics, cleaners, pesticides, or drugs. The PETA International Science Consortium Ltd. is donating $50,000 in equipment to the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), a nonprofit laboratory in Gaithersburg that conducts and develops animal-free test methods. IIVS will use the VITROCELL® Cloud inhalation exposure system — instead of animals — to assess the effects of substances on the human respiratory tract. Manufactured by German-based VITROCELL Systems, the Cloud system mimics realistic...
PETA Science Group and Tobacco Companies Donate to Save Animals
August 28, 2019Donated Equipment Will Help to Replace Animals in Respiratory Toxicity Testing Gaithersburg, MD — The PETA International Science Consortium Ltd., Imperial Brands PLC, Altria Client Services (ALCS), British American Tobacco PLC, and Philip Morris International Inc have joined together to donate equipment that can help to replace the use of animals in respiratory testing with more human-relevant, non-animal test methods. The equipment — worth $110,000 and manufactured by Germany-based VITROCELL Systems — was donated to the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS),...
See You at EUROTOX 2019!
August 15, 2019IIVS is excited about meeting attendees of the 55th EUROTOX conference! Please join us at booth #34 to meet our representatives who are looking forward to discussing trends and New Methodologies in Alternative Approaches (NAMs) to toxicological research, as well providing updates on services offered by our organization! Also, don’t miss our posters: The kinetic Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay (kDPRA): An in chemico method to characterize the skin sensitization potency of chemicals (Poster Viewing 1) Increased Throughput and Cryopreservation of Precision-Cut Lung...
Increased Throughput and Cryopreservation of Precision-cut Lung Slices Extend the Utility of Human-relevant, 3-Dimensional Pulmonary Test Systems
March 18, 2019Human-relevant, in vitro/ex vivo assays are considered an ethical and economically viable manner by which to screen the thousands of chemicals requiring hazard assessment. Of the 3-dimensional models, human precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) are often considered the most physiologically relevant pulmonary test system, but lower throughput and difficulties in cryopreservation have hampered PCLS use. We have modified a tissue slicer to accommodate 3 tissue cores for simultaneous slicing. Increased slice production was quantified using agarose and tissue cores in the slicer....
Register For ICCVAM’s Free Webinar on In Vitro Inhalation Toxicity Testing
January 10, 2019NICEATM will organize a free webinar on behalf of ICCVAM on January 22, 2019 between 1:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration will be required. Topics will include an overview of ongoing collaborative efforts, as well as the presentation of a case study on refining inhalation risk assessment for point of contact toxicity that uses a source-to-outcome approach with both in vitro and in silico methods. The preliminary agenda and additional information about presentations will be posted when available....
Tobacco Companies Embracing In Vitro Toxicology
October 29, 2018The tobacco industry is facing increased testing requirements for e-cigarettes and other tobacco products that entered the market after Feb. 15, 2007. Companies hope in vitro tests that use human lung cells or tissues will be sufficient to show that their new tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, significantly reduce harm and disease and benefit the population as a whole when compared with traditional cigarettes. Several of them are working with independent, third-party laboratories, including the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS),...
Webinar: Precision-cut Lung Slices
October 5, 2018Dr. Holger Behrsing, Principal Scientist with IIVS, recently presented "Precision-cut Lung Slices (PCLS)" for the 2018 PETA International Science Consortium webinar series on non-animal inhalation testing methods. ...