The Universitat de València promotes a new toxicology without animals with the European project ONTOX

The Universitat de València, through its Mixt Unit (UV- IIS La Fe) of Experimental Hepatology- Group HEPEX, has been the host of annual meetings of the European project ONTOX, in which they actively participate. This avant-garde initiative, financed by the EuropeanUnion, has as goal a change in the paradigm of evolution of the toxicological risk of drugs and chemical products, exclusively through alternative methods to the use of animals. The meeting, celebrated 23th and 24th April, has congregated the main representing people of the consortium (about 50 researchers, from 15 countries) and the assessing scientific team appointed by the European Commission to valuate the scientific progresses and define the next phases of the project in their forth year of development.

A future without using animals, closer, thanks to ONTOX

The European project ONTOX (Ontology-driven and Artificial Intelligence-based repeated dose toxicity testing of chemicals for next generation risk assessment) goes through its forth year with the firm goal of transforming the evaluation of toxicological risks in humans without using animals. This ambitious initiative promotes changes on the paradigm and innovative focuses based on computational modelling, systems biology, structured knowledge by ontologies and the use of Artificial Intelligence. “The main goal of ONTOX is offering a generic strategy to predict the risks of systemic toxic effects by the administration of repeated doses, combining new methodologies with a personalised evaluation of the exhibition”, explains the coordinator of the consortium, the doctor Mathieu Vinken.

The project tries to build models capable of simulating complex biological processes —such as hepatic, renal or neurological toxicity— through the use of new methodologies (NAMs), advanced cellular systems such as organoids or human cultivations, and omics analysis. In this context, the Universitat de València leads, through their Unit of Experimental Hepatology, the clinic studies related with cholestasis and hepatic steatosis induced by drugs. “AI can act as a co-pilot, supporting toxicologists and experts in the prediction of possible adverse effects with chemicals”, underlines Vinken. The consortium, which groups partners from different areas —academy, industry, SMEs and regulating organisms—, has also bet for an active communication strategy: videos, social media, scientific publications and the participation in congresses to bring closer the results to society. “ONTOX contributes to increase the chemical safety in humans without the necessity of using animals”, concludes the coordinator.

As for the participation of the Mixt Unit, Dr Mathieu pointed out: “The Experimental Hepatology Joint Unit (HEPEX), integrated by professor-researcher staff both from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biologyand the Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, has a unique experience in the research ground of hepatotoxicity and provides indispensable values in the development of tests in vitro to evaluate hepatic toxicity caused by chemical compounds.”

Academy for Young Researchers, inside the frame of the ASPIS consortium

This year, the event has counted also with the participation of researchers of the complementary European projects RISKHUNTER and PRECISIONTOX. Along with ONTOX, these three projects conform the consortium ASPIS, that works in a coordinated way to develop more efficient and scientifically advanced focuses that substitute the conventional toxicity tests in animals.

In addition, the ASPIS consortium, in Valencia, has organised a new edition of their Academy for Young Researchers, also organised by the Mix Unit. On this occasion, the instruction has gone towards the exploitation of data, with the emphasis in the visualisation and communication of results, key for the efficient dissemination of knowledge towards different publics. This initiative reinforces the compromise of the consortium towards a more innovative and sustainable toxicological evaluation, based on the scientific and ethic excellence.
The organisation of this meeting evidences the active compromise of the Universitat de València and of their Experimental Hepatology Joint Unit —also inside the The CIBER’s thematic area of Liver and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD) from the ISCIII— with the development of a modern toxicology, based in the most advanced scientific knowledge and oriented into evaluating the risk for human health without using animals.

• Complete interview with the doctor Mathieu Vinken.