| Projecttitle | Applicability domain of the in vitro embryotoxicity test with embryonic stem cells |
|---|---|
| Investigators | E. de Jong, MSc., prof. dr. A. Piersma |
| Type of project | PhD project |
| Project leader | Prof. dr. A. Piersma |
| Co-operation |
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| Time frame | December 2007 - 2011 |
| Funded by | ZonMW |
| Short description | |
| Aim |
Further development of embryonic stem cell test. Approaches are threefold: 1. Description of the applicability domain of the test using classes of structurally related chemicals; 2. Exploring the use of differentiation routes in the assay; 3. introduction of existing human embryonic stem cell lines to replace mouse cell lines in view of possibly improved extrapolation of results. |
| Methods |
Advanced cell culture techniques, FACS, RT-PCR, Immunocytochemistry, dose-response modelling. |
| Details |
Currently the embryonic stem cell test is based upon cardiac muscle cell differentiation, monitored by eye. Bottlenecks for implementation of the test in regulatory frameworks are the limitations in description of the applicability domain, both as regards effects extrapolation and chemical domains. In addition, alternative differentiation routes as well as alternative cell lines, in particular those of human origin, deserve attention as possibilities to improve the relevance of the test system. These avenues will be explored in this Ph.D. project. |
| Related projects |
The work is carried out at RIVM, where currently three Ph.D. students and a technician are working on embryonic stem cell differentiation. Major sponsor of this research is the Netherlands Toxicogenomics Center. |
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