The European Union’s ‘detection of endpoints and biomarkers for repeated dose toxicity using in vitro systems’ (DETECTIVE) Project is using Roche’s xCELLigence RTCA System for real-time testing of effects in human cardiac cells.
In addition, human renal and hepatic cells will be tested using the xCELLigence RTCA SP Instrument.
The Roche Real-time Cell Analyzer (RTCA) System uses label-free impedance readings to monitor cellular events in real time.
Unlike more complex patch clamping methods, these new systems can be used in a fully controlled environment for continuous monitoring of both short-term and long-term experiments.
The DETECTIVE Project is a joint study funded by the European Cosmetics Association (Colipa) and the European Commission.
It is one of six separate projects of the safety evaluation ultimately replacing animal testing (SEURAT) initiative started 1 January 2011, to run five years.
The goal is to establish a screening pipeline of high content and high throughput, using classical functional genomics, proteomics and ‘cellomics’ technologies.
Ultimately, human biomarkers will be identified and characterized for use in cellular models using repeated dose in vitro testing, in particular for use in the field of cosmetics.
As of March 2009, animal experiments are no longer permitted for use in toxicology testing in the cosmetic industry.
Current conditions do, however, not permit complete replacement of animal testing.
DETECTIVE will initially use human hepatic, cardiac and renal models as common target organs of repeated dose toxicity.
This strategy for establishing biomarkers should then be applicable to other organs and organ systems affected by systemic toxicants, and make it possible to define human toxicity pathways for each of the human organs.