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ToxCast Program
ToxCast™ Contractors
- Contracts
- EPA News Release, April 11 2007: State-of-the-Art Approach Helps EPA Identify Chemical Risks
- ToxCast 2007 contract awardees:
- ACEA Biosciences, Inc. (San Diego, CA; http://www.aceabio.com) uses microelectronic monitoring of cytotoxicity using the 96-well, Real-Time Cell Electronic Sensing (RT-CES) system. Short and long term effects of chemical treatment on human cells are monitored by continuous measurement of impedance, a non-invasive, no-label technique. In addition to determining a potency at which a chemical is cytotoxic to cells, specific patterns of response will be characterized and grouped by similarity.
- Attagene, Inc. (Morrisville, N.C.; http://www.attagene.com) for examining modulation of transcription factors through a novel reporter gene approach. Human liver HepG2 cell lines containing reporter genes for over 60 receptors and transcription factors will be exposed to chemicals in the ToxCast library to generate data on a wide variety of important biological pathways.
- BioSeek Inc. (Burlingame, CA; http://www.bioseekinc.com) provides High Content Screening (HCS) using human primary cell-based assay systems. Chemicals will be profiled in models designed to replicate intricate cell and pathway interactions present in vivo with endpoints including inflammatory responses, cell proliferation, cell death and tissue remodeling. Primary human cells used consist of endothelial cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, bronchial epithelial cells, fibroblasts, keratinocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells.
- Cellumen, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA; http://www.cellumen.com) High-Content Screening (HCS) services using automated cellular imaging technology to characterize effects on a human liver cell line (HepG2) and rat primary hepatocytes. Cytotoxicity profiling panel includes endpoints linked to stress pathways activation, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, DNA damage, cell cycle function, and cytoskeletal integrity.
- Compound Focus Inc., a subsidiary of BioFocus DPI (South San Francisco, CA; http://www.biofocus.com) procures, handles, analyzes, formulates, stores, and ships the hundreds to thousands of ToxCast chemicals.
- Expression Analysis, Inc. (Durham, NC; http://www.expressionanalysis.com) provides genomic analyses of biological samples using a variety of technologies and platforms, including microarrays and PCR. Gene expression will be used to profile the biological pathways altered by in vitro exposure to environmental chemicals.
- In Vitro ADMET Laboratories (IVAL), LLC. (Rockville, MD; http://www.invitroadmet.com) uses co-culture cellular systems with the capability of modeling in vivo metabolism and toxicity of rodent and human cells, tissues or organs. IVAL's IdMOC co-culture system uses primary human hepatocytes in conjunction with other human cells (e.g., kidney, lung) to detect metabolic activation of chemicals and their subsequent cytotoxicity. IVAL is allso co-culturing rodent and human primary hepatocytes and Kupffer cells exposed to ToxCast chemicals as samples for gene expression profiling.
- NovaScreen Biosciences Corp. (Hanover, MD) is now part of Caliper's Discovery Alliances & Services (CDAS), a division of Caliper Life Sciences (http://www.caliperls.com/products/contract-research) and provides bioactivity profiling of the ToxCast chemicals against a broad range of molecular targets using in vitro High Throughput Screening (HTS) assays. Molecular targets include G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), kinases, phosphatases, nuclear receptors, CYP450 enzymes, ion channels, proteases and transporters, and other enzymes and receptors.
- Phylonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Cambridge, MA; http://www.phylonix.com) will provide zebrafish screening tools in a model organism of vertebrate biology in a relatively high-throughput format. Assay endpoints offered include: central nervous system development and toxicity; cardiovascular system development and toxicity; digestive system development and toxicity; and teratogenesis.
- EPA Active Contracts Reports are available at http://www.epa.gov/oam/ptod/activeindex.htm
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