Project description
Safer chemicals without animal testing
Chemicals and manufactured nanomaterials (MNs) that may potentially harm humans are tested on animals. Despite noticeable improvements in this area, an integrated risk assessment platform is still lacking. The MSCA-funded in3 project aims to achieve animal-free chemical and NM safety assessment by combining human in-vitro testing with computational methods. The focus will be on multiplying induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and sending them to partner labs across Europe. iPSCs have the ability to develop into skin, nerve, muscle, or practically any other cell type relevant to the target organs or tissues where MN exposure occurs. Therefore, they can be used in MN research, eliminating the need for animal testing.
Objective
All chemicals whether they are drugs, cosmetics, agrochemicals or others need to be tested for their safety to man and the environment. The use of whole animal studies for the prediction of adverse effects in man, is problematic due to species dependent effects, high costs and a large burden to animals in terms of numbers and suffering. While there have been major improvements in human in vitro and in silico techniques, there is still a lack of an integrated risk assessment platform. The in3 proposal aims to significantly further the development of animal-free chemical and nanomaterial (NM) safety evaluation by creating a scientific and training program aimed at integrating human in vitro testing with computational approaches. The project will focus on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) derived tissues, including liver, kidney, brain, lung and vasculature and to utilise mechanistic toxicology, quantitative adverse outcome pathways, biokinetics, cheminformatics and modelling approaches to derive testable prediction models. hiPSC present the major advantages provide non-cancerous derived tissues with identical genetic backgrounds. All Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) will work towards the same goal, utilising the same chemicals, donor cells, assays and software packages. All data will be centrally housed in standardised formats, appropriately annotated and linked with protocols and material information. While ESRs will hone their skills in their own field of expertise, they will also collaborate to create an in depth safety evaluation testing platform for the chosen test compounds. By interaction, problem solving, training and secondments over the three years, they will acquire a unique set of interdisciplinary skills for chemical and NM safety assessment. The project aims to accelerate the realisation of animal-free safety assessment and to graduate 15 PhD students with the ideal skill sets to carry out the strategy designed in in3 in the near future.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugs
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinemedicinal chemistry
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cells
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiology
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinetoxicology
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN - European Training NetworksCoordinator
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
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Participants (13)
1110 Wien
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
62000 Arras
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1015 LAUSANNE
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2100 Goedoello
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3000 Leuven
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LS2 7UE Leeds
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NE1 4EP Newcastle Upon Tyne
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
20156 Milano
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L3 5UX Liverpool
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1000 Ljubljana
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3584 CS Utrecht
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4057 Basel
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participation ended
6020 Innsbruck
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Partners (5)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
78464 Konstanz
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
Ispra
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
HOUTEN
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
110 00 Praha
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
75008 Paris
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