{"title":"Validation of a new 3D epidermis model for the SENS-IS assay to evaluate skin sensitization potency of chemicals","authors":"Françoise Cottrez, Elodie Boitel, Essia Sahli, Hervé Groux","doi":"10.1016/j.tiv.2025.106039","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In vitro methods for evaluating skin sensitization are advancing as ethical alternatives to animal testing. The SENS-IS assay, based on genomic profiling, relies on robust biological models like 3D reconstructed human epidermis (RHE). The Rhe model from Episkin was typically used to performed the SENS-IS assay. This study validates the Skin+ model as an alternative to the established Episkin model in the SENS-IS assay.</div><div>We tested 19 proficiency chemicals categorized by human and LLNA potency and compared results between Skin+ and Episkin. The Skin+ model demonstrated over 93 % intra- and inter-batch reproducibility, closely matching Episkin's performance. Additionally, barrier function tests and gene expression analyses confirmed the consistency of the Skin+ model in response to SLS, TNBS, and DMSO treatments.</div><div>The Skin+ model proved to be a reliable and reproducible alternative to the EpiSkin model, maintaining strong barrier integrity and delivering comparable sensitization predictions. This validation broadens the options for laboratories and industries seeking versatile 3D RHE models for in vitro skin sensitization testing, supporting the transition to more ethical and precise methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54423,"journal":{"name":"Toxicology in Vitro","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 106039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Toxicology in Vitro","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887233325000335","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"TOXICOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In vitro methods for evaluating skin sensitization are advancing as ethical alternatives to animal testing. The SENS-IS assay, based on genomic profiling, relies on robust biological models like 3D reconstructed human epidermis (RHE). The Rhe model from Episkin was typically used to performed the SENS-IS assay. This study validates the Skin+ model as an alternative to the established Episkin model in the SENS-IS assay.
We tested 19 proficiency chemicals categorized by human and LLNA potency and compared results between Skin+ and Episkin. The Skin+ model demonstrated over 93 % intra- and inter-batch reproducibility, closely matching Episkin's performance. Additionally, barrier function tests and gene expression analyses confirmed the consistency of the Skin+ model in response to SLS, TNBS, and DMSO treatments.
The Skin+ model proved to be a reliable and reproducible alternative to the EpiSkin model, maintaining strong barrier integrity and delivering comparable sensitization predictions. This validation broadens the options for laboratories and industries seeking versatile 3D RHE models for in vitro skin sensitization testing, supporting the transition to more ethical and precise methods.
期刊介绍:
Toxicology in Vitro publishes original research papers and reviews on the application and use of in vitro systems for assessing or predicting the toxic effects of chemicals and elucidating their mechanisms of action. These in vitro techniques include utilizing cell or tissue cultures, isolated cells, tissue slices, subcellular fractions, transgenic cell cultures, and cells from transgenic organisms, as well as in silico modelling. The Journal will focus on investigations that involve the development and validation of new in vitro methods, e.g. for prediction of toxic effects based on traditional and in silico modelling; on the use of methods in high-throughput toxicology and pharmacology; elucidation of mechanisms of toxic action; the application of genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics in toxicology, as well as on comparative studies that characterise the relationship between in vitro and in vivo findings. The Journal strongly encourages the submission of manuscripts that focus on the development of in vitro methods, their practical applications and regulatory use (e.g. in the areas of food components cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals). Toxicology in Vitro discourages papers that record reporting on toxicological effects from materials, such as plant extracts or herbal medicines, that have not been chemically characterized.