Recipients of the research funding carried out under the program "Validation of the technological and innovation potential of scientific research - VIP+" are researchers of the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research in Dresden, led by Prof. Dr. Carsten Werner, Dr. Uwe Freudenberg, and employees. The funding is worth EUR 1.49 million. Using hydrogels, the scientists have developed a method in which they are able to reproduce tissue-typical structures of cells from human blood vessels and kidneys.

For toxicity tests, the cell culture systems shall be combined with a high-throughput test format, which is already being used in the industry. After validation, the scientists want to get approval from the OECD to use the high-throughput assays as a replacement for developmental toxicology tests on animals.
 
Source:
https://idw-online.de/de/news755261