The main objective of this research project is to create the first full-thickness cornea-on-chip, which comprises a 3D construct with every cellular layer of the cornea. This construct is embedded in a microfluidic chip with two channels that are continuously perfused. The epithelial side of the

Last updated on: 27-07-2022 - 09:35

Contact: Joris Van Meenen
Organisation: University of Antwerp (UAntwerpen)
Status: Still in development
A battery of in vitro genotoxicity assays is currently used to detect agents with DNA damaging and carcinogenic potential. Although the sensitivity of this battery of genotoxicity assays is high, the specificity is low (“false positive hit”), especially with the mammalian cell-based assay, compared

Last updated on: 11-07-2022 - 15:51

Contact: Marc Audebert
Organisation: Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRAE)
Status: History of use, Internally validated, Published in peer reviewed journal, Currently submitted for further validation by an external party (e.g. OECD, EURL ECVAM,…)
DARTpaths is an an integrative app to support the prioritisation of chemicals. The Open Source R shiny application allows for the prediction of compound-induced molecular mechanisms of action. The tool integrates phenotypic endpoints of different species induced by compounds and genetic variants, in

Last updated on: 13-06-2022 - 16:04

Contact: Vera van Noort
Organisation: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)
Partners: Open Analytics, Hogeschool Utrecht , Vivaltes
Status: Internally validated
In silico tools are computer-assisted methodologies with a high-throughput that allow to predict the toxic potential of compounds without experimental testing. Consequently, in silico tools are time-, cost- and animal-saving in nature. The most commonly used methods are (quantitative) structure

Last updated on: 24-03-2022 - 11:25

Contact: Birgit Mertens
Organisation: Sciensano
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
The tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) is one of the most toxic proteins known to man, which prior to the use of the vaccine against the TeNT producing bacteria Clostridium tetani, resulted in a 20% mortality rate upon infection. The clinical detrimental effects of tetanus have decreased immensely since the

Last updated on: 22-03-2022 - 16:49

Contact: Celine Vanhee
Organisation: Sciensano
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
The CALUX method is an in vitro bioassay that uses reporter gene cell lines that have been stably transfected with a luciferase reporter gene under the control of relevant receptor specific DNA response element. This enables the screening for chemicals that can bind to specific receptors and

Last updated on: 16-03-2022 - 14:47

Contact: Imke Boonen
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship modeling is generally used to construct models in which molecular descriptors of chemical compounds are used to predict endpoints/activities of interest. Commercial packages are available that can be implemented, but new models can be constructed if

Last updated on: 16-03-2022 - 13:49

Contact: Geert Verheyen
Organisation: Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
Status: Still in development, History of use, Published in peer reviewed journal
The neutral red uptake assay is a cell viability assay that allows in vitro quantification of xenobiotic-induced cytotoxicity. The assay relies on the ability of living cells to incorporate and bind neutral red, a weak cationic dye, in lysosomes. As such, cytotoxicity is expressed as a concentration

Last updated on: 28-02-2022 - 11:04

Contact: Robim Rodrigues
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal, Validated by an external party (e.g. OECD, EURL ECVAM,…)
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