Cell preservation to reduce experiment animal use

Edited by the Laboratorytalk editorial team Mar 1, 2007

Breakthrough cell preservation method to reduce animal use in experiments has been presented to UK members of parliament (MPs) at NC3Rs event.

Abcellute has presented data on its unique cell preservation technology at an NC3Rs parliamentary event in Westminster, UK to a select audience of interested MPs and other stakeholders.

By enabling animal and human cells to be preserved for up to five days, it is hoped that Abcellute's technology will contribute to both more efficient overall use of cells in medical research and a significant reduction in the number of animals used.

Developed at the University of Cardiff, Abcellute's technology has already attracted widespread interest and been successfully trialled by several leading research institutes and pharmaceutical companies.

A contract for distribution in Japan was signed with GeneFrontier in November and is expected to be followed shortly by similar deals.

Presenting at the event, Abcellute CSO Nathan Griffiths said: "Until now, having a consistent reliable source of fresh hepatocytes has been a real problem for researchers and can result in the unavoidable use of animals.

"Alternative options of freezing hepatocytes (Cryopreservation) results in a less then optimal cell for pre-clinical drug evaluation.

"The Abcellute technology, however, preserves hepatocytes, as if freshly isolated, for up to five days.

"Currently we are concentrating on applying the technology to support the pharmaceutical industries pre-clinical toxicology evaluations of new drugs.

"The data we presented today, which is mirrored by feedback from customer trials, shows that both animal and human liver cells preserved with the Abcellute matrix exhibit cell viability and metabolic activity in keeping with freshly isolated hepatocytes".

Abcellute's initiative was welcomed by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research which provides a UK focus for the promotion, development and implementation of the 3Rs in animal research and testing.

A spokesman said: "All the posters on display have been competitively selected to appear before the MPs today.

"The research projects featured, including Abcellute's, are all excellent examples of how it is possible to replace, refine or reduce the use of animals in research while continuing to carry out high-quality science.