Uncategorized

Good In Vitro Method Practices Certification: A Roadmap for Implementation and Harmonization

October 7, 2022
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidance document on Good In Vitro Method Practices (GIVIMP) details a set of quality standards to improve both the quality of and confidence in newly developed, and routinely executed in vitro methods. Currently a practical guide to implement GIVMP standards is missing; leaving organizations to define the best approach for themselves. ...

May 2022 Newsletter

July 1, 2022
The ability to ascertain the maximum limit of a compound that can be applied to the skin without inducing skin sensitization is a critical safety criterion for virtually any risk assessment. Using regression models developed by Givaudan (Kempthal, Switzerland), IIVS is able to perform a computational approach to determine predicted EC3 values (Effective Concentration required to induce a 3-fold upregulation of lymph node cell proliferation) using a combination of OECD approved assays (KeratinoSens, hCLAT, and kDPRA). This value can be used to assess risk for compounds to...

IIVS Posters at SOT 2022

April 14, 2022
Thank you to all who visited our booth or poster sessions at the 2022 Society of Toxicology annual meeting. If you would like copies of any of the poster presented we now have them available to view online: Compatibility Determination of Alternative Solvents in the human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT) for the Assessment of Skin Sensitization Cryopreservation of Human Precision-Cut Lung Slices Provides an Immune Competent, Pulmonary Test System for “On-Demand” Use Modification in Procedure of the Reconstructed Human EpiDermis (RhE) Phototoxicity Assay Improving...

China to Exempt Animal Testing for Imported General Cosmetics on May 1

March 4, 2021
IIVS is pleased to see China providing a pathway for the importation of certain cosmetics without #animaltesting. The pathway does contain certain requirements that the international community must strive to meet - but it is certainly a major step forward. IIVS will continue its outreach with China's National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), as well as with provincial FDA's, to continue to implement #nonanimal methods into their regulatory guidelines. Thank you to all our great contributors who fund this important work!...

IIVS e-News – October 2020

September 28, 2020
IIVS is pleased to announce that Allison Hilberer will participate in the OECD Test Guidelines Programme Expert Groups (OECD TG EG) for eye and skin irritation, phototoxicity and skin sensitization. Allison is a Toxicologist II and Study Director at IIVS where she oversees the conduct of in vitrostudies in these areas. Allison has also been involved in many validation programs and participated in efforts to draft and revise OECD Test Guidelines. Read Post...

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, 2019
The 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, 2019
The 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...

Evaluation of TRPV1 Activity to Assess the Eye Stinging Potential of Cosmetic Formulations

October 17, 2019
The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor is one of the most well characterized pain-inducing receptors and has been recently identified as a valuable tool to predict eye stinging potential of surfactant based formulations. In this study we sought to predict eye stinging of nonsurfactant based cosmetic formulations by studying TRPV1 activity using the NociOcular assay. In the NociOcular assay, TRPV1 expressing neuroblastoma cells are exposed to test substance and TRPV1 activity is measured by acute increases in...

PETA Science Group Donates $50,000 in Equipment to IIVS

October 11, 2019
Gaithersburg, 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...

Promoting the Uptake of Alternatives to Animal Testing Through the Development of eLearning Tools

September 13, 2019
In order to further promote the implementation of Directive 2010/63/EU, the European Commission issued calls for a number of related projects last year. One of these projects is aimed at facilitating the uptake of non-animal alternatives by developing two e-learning modules. The contract for this project was awarded to a consortium consisting of SYRCLE, the Swiss 3R Competence Centre, lnstitute for ln Vitro Sciences, Pharma Launcher and Ecorys UK. This consortium will develop two modules, i.e., one eLearning module focused...