Animal-free skin sensitisation test receives approval

The first complete skin sensitisation test, without using animals, has been approved for international use.
 
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), approved the technique developed by BASF, a German chemical company, in collaboration with the Swiss fragrance specialist Givaudan.
 
The new method combines three tests which allow researchers to understand whether a new product will cause skin irritation, and how quickly the product binds to the skin, which previously had not been possible without animal testing.
 
“Now we can also use alternative methods to answer more complex toxicological questions without animal testing,” said Dr Robert Landsiedel, Vice President of Special Toxicology at BASF.

Bringing back vision to patients with the use of monkeys 

Researchers from the Paris Vision Institute, France, have made further groundbreaking advances with a potential therapy to restore sight in humans. 

Although medical devices that stimulate the retina can restore some vision, patients are still not able to recognise faces or move independently.

To gain sharper visual perception, the team developed an optogenetic therapy – a technique that involves the use of light to control brain cells – in monkeys. 

These results lay the groundwork for an ongoing clinical trial for vision restoration in human patients who have a genetic disorder of the eyes that causes a loss of vision called retinitis pigmentosa.

“The study in monkeys allowed the Vision Institute to create an effective optogenetic therapy that could have a positive impact in patients suffering from some types of blindness,” said Serge Picaud, Research Director at Paris Vision Institute.