Toxicology

Expert interviews
ToxicologyIn vitro
Erwin Roggen (ToxGenSolutions)
ToxGenSolutions provides a cutting-edge patchwork of test methods required for modern testing and assessment of compounds and products. It builds on a virtual generic platform of leading test and technology developers providing novel technologies addressing key events in outcome pathways. ToxGenSolutions products are proprietary mechanism-based gene signatures for identification and classification of toxicants during screening, product development and safety assessment. More information on https://toxgensolutions.eu/ .

Expert interviews
HealthToxicology
Kirsten Baken (VITO)
Kirsten Baken (VITO, www.vito.be) discusses biomonitoring as part of the HBM4EU project (www.hbm4eu.eu). An example of the use of human biomarkers can be found at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935119302658 .

Various subjects
ToxicologyDataPolicy
A New Way to Evaluate Chemical Safety and Assess Risk
TOX21

Innovation examples
ToxicologyIn vitro
Stem cell assays for animal-free developmental neurotoxicity assessment of compounds (video in Dutch)
Victoria de Leeuw worked as a PhD candidate in the research group of prof. Aldert Piersma at the RIVM between 2016 and 2020. Piersma's lab studies the effects of compounds on development of the embryo during pregnancy with among others stem cell cultures. The project of Victoria was aimed to differentiate embryonic stem cells (of mouse and human origin) into neurons and astrocytes, which could mimic small parts of embryonic brain development. These models were able to show some of the known toxic mechanisms induced by these compounds, congruent with what they we hypothesised to mimic. Therefore, these two stem cell assays make a useful contribution to the animal-free assessment of developmental neurotoxicity potential of compounds.
Onderzoeker: Victoria de Leeuw op het RIVM.
Video: Sophie Koster Videoproducties