IRAS Research, Toxicology
The general task of the toxicology division of IRAS is to improve the risk assessment of chemicals for humans and the environment by providing new insights into the mechanism of action and associated hazards. The central focus is the development of new concepts and models in toxicology, which contribute to new knowledge on dose-effect relationships and differences between species and individuals.
Research is done with natural and hormone-like substances, environmental contaminants, pharmaceuticals and food additives. Within this framework two research lines exist within the toxicology division. The first research line focuses on the effect of biological availability in the body or natural environment and the modeling of biokinetics of xenobiotics. The second research line involves the mechanism of action of these compounds on the endocrine, neuronal and immunological system.
In both research lines in vitro techniques, including those with human tissue, are developed and commonly used to decrease and limit the amount of laboratory animals as much as possible in toxicological research. These new in vitro models are also developed with the purpose to make the hazard and risk assessment of chemicals more economically attractive in relation to animal experiments.
Projects
Most of the research is part of the RATIA program (see page on Research on the UU site of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine). All projects have a short description.
The 'Division Toxicology' in cooparation with the 'Division Environmental Epidemiology'.
The 'Division Toxicology' in cooparation with the 'Division Veterinary Public Health'.
The following list are projects of the 'Division Toxicology'.
- A closer look at oil toxicity: receptor-mediated effects and influence of weathering
- Applicability domain of the in vitro embryotoxicity test with embryonic stem cells
- Asia Link - Elephant reproduction
- ATHON: Assessing the toxicity and hazard of non-dioxin-like PCBs present in food / Assessing the endocrine- and neurotoxic potential of non-dioxin like PCBs present in food
- Bioavailability and bioaccumulation of very hydrophobic organic chemicals (vHOCs)
- CellSens: Development of a strategy to predict acute fish lethality using fish cell lines and fish embryos
- Chemoprevention of hormone-dependent cancer by botanical agents
- Comparative biotransformation in in vitro systems from human, dog and rat (Doerenkamp-Zbinden)
- Creation of a production platform to develop therapeutic proteins for the treatment of inflammatory disease
- Data on in vitro metabolism and mechanisms of action in combination with kinetic modeling: integrating in risk assessment
- Development of an embryotoxicity test with zebrafish eggs and genomics
- Development, validation and implementation of human systemic TEQs as biomarkers for dioxin-like compounds
- Effects of flame retardants on the nervous system and in neurodevelopment
- Environmental change and rising DOC trends: Implications for public health
- Food allergy: Risk evaluation and therapy
- GlobalDiv - Characterization of Molecular Diversity of Livestock at a Global level
- Human variability in target organ susceptibility toward designer drug toxicity. Assessment of clinical relevance of genomic polymorphism testing
- Improving risk assessment of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated sediments and soils
- Mucosal immunity and xenobiotics
- Neuro-immune modulation in the gastrointestinal tract
- Neuroreceptor interactions of drugs of abuse to predict human health effects
- Neurotoxic modulation of (dopaminergic) neurotransmission and (intra)cellular signaling by environmental compounds
- Non animal-based models for in vitro kinetics and human kinetic prediction
- Pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s disease
- Role of mast cells in the impairment of the intestinal barrier
- Towards an understanding of the bioavailability and partition behaviour of cationic surfactants
- Towards novel translational safety biomarkers for adverse drug toxicity
- Trace - traceability of food
- Understanding and dealing with bioavailability in cell assays (A-Cute-Tox)
