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Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Based Developmental Toxicity Assays for Chemical Safety Screening and Systems Biology Data Generation
Published on: June 17, 2015
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Toward better assessments of developmental toxicity using stem cell-based in vitro embryogenesis models
1Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
Birth Defects Research
|February 1, 2022
Summary
Pluripotent stem cell assays offer non-animal alternatives for developmental toxicity testing. Refinement and standardization are crucial for their acceptance as a cornerstone in predictive toxicology.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Pluripotent stem cells are explored as non-animal alternatives for chemical developmental toxicity assessment.
- Numerous stem cell-based assays exist, but none have achieved gold standard status.
Purpose of the Study:
- Discuss issues hindering the acceptance of stem cell assays in developmental toxicology.
- Facilitate refinement and standardization for broader adoption.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing stem cell assay limitations.
- Discussion on the need for standardized reference chemicals.
- Emphasis on toxicokinetic data and molecular effects.
Main Results:
- Each assay represents a limited aspect of embryogenesis, necessitating multiple assays.
- Standardized reference chemicals are required for validation and comparison.
- Maternal plasma concentrations and molecular targets are key data points.
Conclusions:
- Stem cell assays can be practical and ethical alternatives for identifying developmental toxicants.
- Carefully selected assays, alongside regulatory coordination, are needed.
- Achieving this requires significant collaboration between research and regulatory bodies.
