Metal-induced infertility

A study on in-vitro models of metal induced infertility and spermiotoxicity is required by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). The project will be coordinated by the JRC's Institute for health and consumer protection, Validation and biomedical testing unit ...

A study on in-vitro models of metal induced infertility and spermiotoxicity is required by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The project will be coordinated by the JRC's Institute for health and consumer protection, Validation and biomedical testing unit (ECVAM). ECVAM's goal is to promote the scientific and regulatory acceptance of alternative methods which are of importance to the biosciences and which reduce, refine or replace the use of laboratory animals.

Sub-fertility and sterility (spermiotoxicity) are areas of interest for ECVAM, particularly in developing in-vitro advanced methods (cell cultures) for assessing, male reproductive toxicity of xenobiotics, and to understand the mechanisms of sperm toxicity of essential/toxic trace metals.

The aim of the study is to reduce the number of animals in the evaluation of metal toxicity on the male reproductive system by developing an in-vitro rabbit sperm toxicity testing for predicting and establishing the relationship with in vivo sperm toxicity.
For further information, please contact:

European Commission
Joint Research Centre
Institute for health and consumer protection
Validation and biomedical testing unit (ECVAM)
Mrs C Dal Molin
TP 580 via Enrico Fermi, 1
I-21020 Ispra (VA)
Fax [phone]