Big tobacco embraces in vitro toxicology

October 28, 2018

c&en, Volume 96, Issue 43

Britt E. Erickson

The complexity of next-generation tobacco products has increased by a number of factors since FDA was given responsibility to regulate tobacco. Testing e-liquids with animals is not practical, economically and not that accurate. The Vitrocell system generates airborne materials from test products, such as smoke from reference cigarettes and vapor from e-cigarettes, in a manner that simulates how a person would puff. This artcile shows, how IIVS scientists use human donor tissues, obtained from organs, to create cell cultures and in vitro test systems.

Toxicology tests that rely on human cells and tissues instead of animals are rapidly evolving, driven by widespread interest in reducing the cost and stigma associated with animal testing and the desire to test large numbers of chemicals rapidly. Now, tobacco firms are joining pharmaceutical, pesticide, and chemical manufacturers in investing heavily in the technology.

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