Poster, SOT 65th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 22–25, 2026, in San Diego, California.
Emma Bishop1, Ian Crooks1, Michael Hollings2, Robert Bedford2, Damien Breheny1
1. BAT (Investments) Limited, Regents Park Road, Southampton SO15 8TL, UK
2. Labcorp, Harrogate, UK
Introduction
Combined Model for Oxidative Stress and Cytotoxicity:
Assessing the risk potential of Next-Generation Products (NGPs) requires models that go beyond simple cell viability assays. In a collaboration between BAT and Labcorp, an innovative testing approach was developed that combines cytotoxicity and oxidative stress measurements within a single 3D human airway tissue model, MucilAir™.
Using Vitrocell® 48 exposure system, the team demonstrated that conventional cigarette smoke from 1R6F reference cigarettes triggered a strong release of the oxidative stress biomarker 8-isoprostane – more than four times higher compared to the control group.
In contrast, heated tobacco products (HTPs) showed significantly lower biological activity, with only a 1.6-fold induction, even after substantially longer exposure durations.
This combined model provides a highly sensitive method for precisely differentiating the biological effects of inhaled aerosols and supports the scientific foundation of harm reduction strategies.
