The European Commission (EC) and the European trade association Cosmetics Europe have undertaken the Notox study, one of six SEURAT -1 (Safety Evaluation Ultimately Replacing Animal Testing) research projects that aim to advance research in the field of alternative testing methods for long-term systemic toxicity and “develop non-animal and human relevant testing methods for safety assessment using in vitro human cell cultures and in silico computer models.”
The five-year study will reportedly use experiments on human cells to develop computer models and algorithms to show the long-term effects of chemicals on the body. The predictions are expected to help replace animal testing by providing a different source of testable predictions and allowing products such as make-up, soap or toothpaste to be tested without using living organisms. A consortium of international research teams comprising scientists from 11 academic institutions and research laboratories will work on the project. See notox-sb.eu, October 7, 2013.
