NAMSS Webinar: Bridging the In Vitro–In Vivo Divide for Hazard Testing of Nanomaterials

The webinar held on October 21st gave an overview of the current advancement of lung, intestine, and liver 3D models as well as state-of-the art exposure approaches to understand the impact of various nanomaterials.

There have been great developments in our understanding of nanosafety over the last decade. However, there is also now increased recognition that technical challenges remain in the use of standard in vitro hazard evaluation strategies, which impact their reliability and predictivity. Most hazard tests for risk assessment purposes are currently based on mammalian cells cultured as a two-dimensional (2D) monolayer, but these culture systems do not closely mimic human physiological functioning. In contrast, when cells are cultured in three dimensions (3D), the increased structural complexity results in cell-to-cell and/or cell-to-matrix cross talk, enhanced metabolic capacity, and altered global transcriptomic and proteomic profiles, leading to 3D models that are more representative of the in vivo environment.

The application of 3D tissue constructs and complex co-culture models incorporating multiple cell types is improving our ability to report on a wider range of potential key events leading to adverse outcome effects following exposure to nanomaterials. Thus, the continued development and standardization of such advanced in vitro models may provide substantial benefits in bridging the in vitro to in vivo gap for hazard assessment, potentially minimizing the necessity of animal testing.

The webinar held on October 21st gave an overview of the current advancement of lung, intestine, and liver 3D models as well as state-of-the art exposure approaches to understand the impact of various nanomaterials.

Please find the slides HERE to learn more about the subject.