Holger Behrsing Tag
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...
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....
Next Generation Tobacco Products and Skin Staining
March 18, 2019Next generation tobacco and nicotine products (NGPs) such as electronic cigarettes (EC) and tobacco heating products (THP) have reduced toxicity and hold great potential for reducing the risks associated with cigarette smoking. NGPs may also have hygiene benefits for consumers that switch to these products. In this study, the level of skin staining was assessed following exposure to a scientific reference cigarette (3R4F) and NGPs across the risk continuum; a prototype EC or a commercial THP (glo™). Test articles (TAs) were...
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. ...
Characterization of a Vitrocell VC1 Using Nicotine Dosimetry: An Essential Component Toward Standardized In Vitro Aerosol Exposure of Tobacco and Next Generation Nicotine Delivery Products
June 21, 2018The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has regulatory authority over tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes and next generation products (NGPs) such as e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products (THPs). There is a desire by the industry, regulators and animal protection organizations to incorporate non-animal test methods for tobacco product and NGP assessment. When assessing respiratory effects in vitro, reliable exposure systems that deliver aerosols to cellular/tissue cultures (such as human reconstructed airways or lung slices) at the air–liquid interface are needed. Using nicotine dosimetry, we report the...