Project

Non-animal predictions of the behaviour of chemicals in the body

With increasing possibilities to measure toxicity of chemicals with cell-based in vitro assays, there is an urgent need for methods that allow the translation of these data into human dose-response or potency information. Computational tools that predict the availability of chemicals in the body play a crucial role in these translations. However, the parameterization of such computational tools solely on the basis of non-animal input data remains a challenge. This is particularly true for the parameterization of the processes related to active intestinal absorption and renal excretion of chemicals.

This project will make use of new intestinal organoid models and immortalized renal cells as novel tools to derive input data to parameterize the complex processes involved in the absorption and excretion of compounds. The innovation of the project lies in addressing knowledge gaps in animal free methods that predict the behaviour of chemicals in humans as crucial tool in “next generation non-animal risk assessment”.