With their submitted work, the four scientists Dr. Lisa Dietz, Dr. Philipp Esser, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Stefan Martin and Dr. Hermann-Josef Thierse (Freiburg / Mannheim) have developed a human T-cell activation test that make it possible to identify chemicals which have the potential to be contact allergens, without the need to carry out animal experiments.

By default, for testing on so-called contact allergens the "local lymph node assay" is used, in which the effects of chemicals in animals - especially mice - is investigated. Since March 2009 the animal use for cosmetic ingredients is prohibited by the EU. In other areas such testing is still allowed, but until now it requires the use of large numbers of animals.




From left to right: Baden-Württemberg Minister for Rural Development and Consumer Protection, Alexander Bonde, winners: Dr. Philipp Esser, Dr. Lisa Dietz, Prof. Dr. Stefan Martin, Dr. Hermann-Josef Thierse. Photo: Ingeborg Livaditis.


With that excellent work, there is now a method available that allows testing of substances with the help of human T cells in vitro - without the use of animals. InVitroJobs will shortly provide more information.

Awarded work:
Dietz, L., et al, 2010, Tracking human contact allergens. From mass spectrometric validated chemical peptide interactions to chemical-specific naive human T cell priming. Toxicol. Sci. 117:336-347.

Source: Ministry of Rural Development and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg