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Innovation examples
HealthInnovation
Whole blood assessment of thrombosis tendency
Transgenic animals are often subjected to short and long term experimental models of thrombosis and atherosclerosis with considerable discomfort to the animal. This project aims to: 1) replace (human blood instead of animal blood), 2) reduce (a few drops of blood per test), and 3) refine (replace in vivo by in vitro testing with isolated blood) the use of laboratory animals with two new small blood volume function tests—the perfusion chamber and the thrombin generation test. Both tests will be equipped with a simple detection capability, which is affordable for laboratories. Their application is not only in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis but also for the investigation of other blood-related diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes and cancer. By Sanne Brouns (Department of Biochemistry CARIM, Maastricht University, the Netherlands) and Linda Herfs (Flowchamber B.V.).
Expert interviews
HealthEducation
Daniela Salvatori: TPI Utrecht
Prof. dr. Daniela Salvatori, chair of TPI Utrecht, presents the aims of the local TPI group and invites all who want to share their ideas or questions on the transition towards animal-free innovations to get in touch via uu.nl/tpi.
Innovation examples
ToxicologyInnovationIn vitro
Human neuronal cell models for in vitro neurotoxicity screening and seizure liability assessment
Anke Tukker was a PhD candidate in the Neurotoxicology Research group of Dr. Remco Westerink at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences at Utrecht University. Dr Westerink’s research group investigates the mechanisms of action of toxic substances on a cellular and molecular level using in vitro systems. Anke's project aimed to develop a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuronal model for in vitro neurotoxicity screening and seizure liability assessment. Using micro-electrode arrays (MEAs), she showed that these models mimic in vivo neuronal network activity. When these hiPSC-derived neurons are mixed with hiPSC-derived astrocytes, they can be used for in vitro seizure liability assessment. Comparing these data with data obtained from the current used model of ex vivo rodent cortical cultures, she found that these human cells outperform the rodent model. Here research thus contributes towards animal-free neurotoxicity testing.
Anke Tukker has won the public vote of the Hugo van Poelgeest prize 2020 for her research on human neuronal cell models for in vitro neurotoxicity screening and seizure liability assessment.
Neurotoxicology Research Group, IRAS, Utrecht University: https://ntx.iras.uu.nl/NTX_at_Iras
Expert interviews
HealthInnovation
Elly Hol (UMC Utrecht): possibilities for neuroscience
Prof. dr. Elly Hol (neuroscientist) talks about the opportunities for conducting animal-free research in Utrecht. She explains why it is necessary to use animal models next to cell-based models, for example for her Alzheimer research. More info at https://www.umcutrecht.nl/en/research/center/brain-center , http://translationalneuroscience.nl , http://www.ellyhollab.eu .
Various subjects
InnovationPolicy
TPI.tv: improving science through animal-free innovations and research
Introducing TPI.tv : a video platform by experts striving to improve science through animal-free innovations and research.
Expert interviews
EducationInnovation
Wim de Leeuw: Aim and activities of TPI Utrecht
TPI Utrecht facilitates the Utrecht infrastructure to stimulate the transition to animal-free innovation. There is a helpdesk, a group of ambassadors, and a 3Rs Stimulus Fund. A digital marketplace for exchange of tissues is being developed, and as well a hybrid centre for biomedical translation, where there will increasingly be place for animal-free techniques.
Meeting videos
HelpathonsEducationInnovation
Sign in for Helpathon #3: Daniela Salvatori
Daniela Salvatori calls for a Helpathon! She invites you to help her and TPI Utrecht to create a unique master course for animal free innovation. You can sign in for this Helpathon here: tpihelpathon.nl. Online, 18th - 19th of June 2020.
Expert interviews
HealthIn vitro
Tony Kiuru (UPM Biomedicals)
Tony Kiuru discusses GrowDex, which is an animal free, ready to use hydrogel that mimics the extracellular matrix (ECM) and supports cell growth and differentiation with consistent results. Bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies GrowDex can be used for 3D cell culture for spheroid and /organoids, in personalised medicine, regenerative medicine, organ-on-a-chip models, drug release studies, 3D printing and much more. GrowDex hydrogel is manufactured according to ISO13485. You can find more information about GrowDex at https://www.upmbiomedicals.com/siteassets/documents/growdex-brochure-2018.pdf and https://www.linkedin.com/company/growdex/ . General email address: biomedicals@upm.com.
Innovation examples
HealthInnovation
Katja Wolthers (Amsterdam UMC) - virus research in human models: let's show some guts!
To study viruses that make people sick, we often use laboratory animals. However, virus infections in animals are different than in humans. New 3D culture models or 'organoids', which look like human organs in a petri dish, offer a unique opportunity to investigate how viruses enter the human body and cause disease. Our research focuses on enteroviruses such as polio. Due to vaccination, polio is rare, but other enteroviruses are increasingly a threat to young children and patients with impaired immune defenses. There are no medications available, because knowledge about infections with enteroviruses is limited. In our research we use organoids to see how enteroviruses enter the human body and by which means you can prevent that, without the use of laboratory animals. With this project we want to show that our technique can replace the use of laboratory animals in virus research.
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
Innovation examples
ToxicologyInnovationIn vitro
Human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes for disease modelling and drug discovery
Berend van Meer did his PhD research in the research group of prof. Christine Mummery at the department of Anatomy and Embryology of the Leiden University Medical Center. In this group, human pluripotent stem cell derived (Organ-on-Chip) models are being developed, mostly cardiovascular models. The work of Berend aimed to understand how well these stem cell based cardiac models can predict the effect of (well-known) drug therapies in patients. Importantly, the outcomes of the experiments were compared to very similar measurements in rabbit heart muscle cells. And while animal models predicted less than 70% correctly, the human stem cell based models predicted almost 80% of the expected effects correctly. The research contributes to understanding the relevance of stem cell based models and strengthens the confidence regulators and pharmaceutical companies have in such models as animal alternatives in the drug development pipeline.
Berend van Meer has won the Hugo van Poelgeest prize 2020 for his research on human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes for disease modelling and drug discovery.
Christine Mummery's lab on Heart on Chip, Disease modeling and toxicity: https://www.lumc.nl/org/anatomie-embryologie/research/902040935402533/
Various subjects
Five simple tricks for making your own video for TPI.tv
This video shows you how to make a video yourself. It's really not that difficult! See also https://tpi.tv/how-to-submit for additional information.