A simple lab-based skin test which eliminates the risk of adverse reactions to new drugs, cosmetics and household chemicals has been developed by a Newcastle University team. It uses real human skin and immune cells to show any reaction such as a rash or blistering indicating a wider immune response within the body. The development is timely as it offers a reliable alternative for the cosmetic industry as a ban on the sale of any cosmetic product tested on animals came into effect across Europe in March.
Professor Anne Dickinson from the Institute of Cellular Medicine recently presented the technology at the In-Vitro Testing Industrial Platform (IVTIP) conference in Brussels. She said: "This skin assay offers an accurate and rapid alternative to animal testing and provides the bridge between the laboratory tests for novel drugs and the first stage of clinical trials in humans.
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It is accurate and faster than anything currently around and can save companies time and resources. The test identifies drugs or products which are likely to cause a reaction or just not work effectively in humans.
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The test called SkimuneTM, which is trademarked and has a patent pending, has been successfully tested by a number of large pharmaceutical companies on drugs in development and provides a reliable result within two weeks.
By revealing skin sensitization or an adverse reaction that may not be identified by use of an animal or computer model, the assay can provide vital information which will allow a drug company to make informed decisions earlier saving significant development costs.
Professor Dickinson said: "
We’ve already shown this works as a way of testing new drugs for adverse immune reactions that can’t be identified when tested in animal …
