From 27 to 29 August, the 12th International Congress and Workshops on Biological Barriers will take place at the Helmholtz Centre for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) at Saarland University in Saarbrücken. In the focus of Biological Barriers are human cell
and tissue models for facilitating clinical translation of new drugs and delivery systems, especially in the context of infectious diseases.
 
Using cell cultures, spanish researchers have observed that polyphenols in red wine can prevent bacteria from attaching to tooth substance.
 
The European Union pleads for a worldwide marketing ban on cosmetics tested on animals. Today, in 80 percent of the countries worldwide it is still possible to carry out animal Experiments for cosmetic products or they are demanded.

Scientists at the University Hospital of Ulm are developing a pancreas chip made of stem cells that enables the pharmaceutical industry to test diabetes drugs in high throughput. 
 

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), the University of Tokyo, CNRS and INSERM, report a new organ-on-a-chip technology for the study of blood vessel formation and drugs targeting this event. The technology recreates a human blood vessel and shows how new capillaries grow from a single vessel (parent vessel) in response to proper biochemical signaling cues.

A team of researchers from the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary University of London has succeeded in gaining cells from urine, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem cells and converting them into a Kind of artificial adrenal gland with steroid-producing cells. The model could be used in investigations of possible treatments for adrenal diseases such as adrenal insufficiency.
 
The Commission for the European Pharmacopoeia and the U. S. Department of Agriculture have agreed that the for years controversial discussed Abnormal Toxicity Test (ATT) for safety assessment of vaccine batches will be deleted from the regulations. From 2019 the test does not being used any longer in Europe.

Scientists from the Charité Berlin, the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, from Toronto, Marseille and Barcelona have evolved the already existing brain simulation platform called "The Virtual Brain" by integrating patient measurement data.
 

New PDMS combination for D3 printing

Thursday, 01 February 2018 14:43
Scientists from the PennState University, Pennsylvania, have collaborated with researchers from the Cukurova University in Adana, Türkey, to mix two different polydimethylsiloxane elastomers. Using the substance combination they are able to create three-dimensional objects for organ-on-a-chip systems. This is especially interesting for smallest structures from the 3D Printer. 
 

Altertox with new annual program 2018

Thursday, 01 February 2018 13:06
The Altertox Academy (formerly CAAT Academy) has launched its annual program for in vitro and silico training. Interested parties can now register for the numerous hands-on training courses, which will take place at various locations in Europe.