The multiplex immunoassay is based on the Luminex technology and allows the detection of diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis antigens of human combined vaccines in the same run. As potency test of these vaccines are currently performed on animal through challenge and/or serological assays,

Last updated on: 28-02-2022 - 09:19

Contact: Maxime Vermeulen
Organisation: Sciensano
Partners: VAC2VAC
Status: Still in development
Maaike Vercauteren developed the innovative in vitro 'two-chamber skin explant model'. Pieces of skin are kept and examined in a controlled laboratory environment. This is no sinecure, because the skin must continue to function as if it were still attached to the fish. However, the tested setup

Last updated on: 22-02-2022 - 15:13

Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Instituut voor Landbouw-, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek (ILVO), Ghent University (UGent)
Status: Internally validated
The DPRA is an in chemico method which quantifies the remaining concentration of cysteine- or lysine-containing peptide following 24 hours incubation with the test chemical at 25 +/-2,5ºC. The synthetic peptides contain phenylalanine to aid in the detection. Relative peptide concentration is

Last updated on: 22-02-2022 - 10:59

Contact: Bart Desmedt
Organisation: Sciensano
Status: History of use, Internally validated, Validated by an external party (e.g. OECD, EURL ECVAM,…)
The monocyte-activation test (MAT) is used to detect or quantify substances that activate human monocytes or monocytic cells to release endogenous mediators such as pro-inflammatory cytokines, for example tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). These

Last updated on: 22-02-2022 - 10:56

Contact: Celine Vanhee
Organisation: Sciensano
Status: Still in development, History of use
The neutral red uptake (NRU) assay provides a quantitative measurement of the number of viable cells. The test is based on the ability of living cells to take up and bind neutral red (NR), a dye which easily penetrates cell membranes via non-ionic diffusion and accumulates in the lysosomes. Dying

Last updated on: 21-02-2022 - 15:23

Contact: Roel Anthonissen
Organisation: Sciensano
Status: History of use, Published in peer reviewed journal
The in vitro Alkaline Comet Assay is a microgel electrophoresis technique which allows to measure DNA damage (single and double strand breaks, alkali labile sites, incomplete excision repair sites and cross links) cell by cell. Cells are mixed with 0.8% Low Melting Point Agarose which is spread as a

Last updated on: 21-02-2022 - 15:21

Contact: Roel Anthonissen
Organisation: Sciensano
Status: History of use, Published in peer reviewed journal
The Ames test is a short-term bacterial reverse gene mutation assay specifically designed to detect a wide range of chemical substances that can produce genetic damage that leads to permanent gene mutations. The test has been described in detail in OECD TG 471 and employs several histidine dependent

Last updated on: 21-02-2022 - 15:15

Contact: Roel Anthonissen
Organisation: Sciensano
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal, Validated by an external party (e.g. OECD, EURL ECVAM,…)
By using in vitro co-cultures of immune cells and lung tumor cells, we can study and evaluate the immune-activating and/or anti anti-tumor properties of certain treatments. Tumor cell proliferation can be studied with live-cell imaging instruments (IncuCyte, EVOS, ...) and the occurrence of immune

Last updated on: 21-02-2022 - 15:03

Contact: Eline Berghmans
Organisation: Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Alkaline comet assay (COM) and Micronucleus test (MN) are well-established cytogenetic tests that are used to detect both immediate damages i.e. DNA fragmentation, and permanent damage which results in micronuclei formation. These techniques are often applied separately or, sometimes, in combination

Last updated on: 18-02-2022 - 16:42

Contact: Ha Nguyen
Organisation: Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Sciensano
Partners: University of Liège (ULiège)
Status: History of use, Internally validated
A set of protocols to combine the widely used Caco-2 cell line with digests from in vitro digestion models (small intestine, colon) to study toxicity, intestinal barrier integrity, bioavailability and, when combined with other cell models (immune, liver, endothelium), bioactivity of food related

Last updated on: 18-02-2022 - 08:42

Organisation: Ghent University (UGent)
Status: History of use, Published in peer reviewed journal