PROGRAMME > Scientific programme

The scientific programme will start on Monday 2 October 2006 at 14.00 hrs and will finish on Thursday 5 October 2006 at 13.30 hrs.

The programme will consist of an opening lecture, the Bjφrn Ekwall memorial lecture, and ten main sessions which each will include a lecture by an invited speaker and invited presentations selected from the submitted abstracts. Time will be available for exhibition of posters and discussion during the coffee breaks and after lunch.

 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2006
 
12.00 – 18.30 Registration and poster allocation
   
Session 1: Nanoparticles, how to study their benefits and hazards in vitro?
 
Chairs: Peter Hoet (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium)
  Inge Nelissen (VITO, Belgium)
   
14.00 – 14.40 Carbon-based nanoparticles; carbon black, diesel soot and carbon nanotubes
Ken Donaldson (University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, United Kingdom)
14.40 – 14.55 Cytotoxicity assessment of single-walled carbon nanotubes on human lung fibroblasts and keratinocyte
Eva Herzog (Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland)
14.55 – 15.10 Development of an in vitro model for pulmonary translocation of nanoparticles
Geys Jorina (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium)
15.10 – 15.25 The antibacterial activity of (nanosize) metal oxides: recombinant luminescent bacterial models
Anne Kahru (National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Estonia)
15.25 – 15.40 Size partitioning of airborne particles to study in vitro biological effects of ultrafine particles
Armelle Baeza-Squiban (Université Paris, France)
15.40 – 16.00 Coffee break
   
Session 2: In vitro tests for allergy and asthma, protecting for emerging diseases?
 
Chairs: Darius Sladowski (CBR, Medical University Warsaw, Poland)
  Rosette Van Den Heuvel (VITO, Belgium)
   
16.00 – 16.40 Allergy: facing the challenges of assessing human safety using in vitro methods
David Basketter (Unilever, United Kingdom)
16.40 – 17.00 Identification of allergen relevant biomarkers using micro-array: progress of the Sens-it-iv project
Erwin Roggen (Novozymes, Denmark)
17.00 – 17.15 Can dendritic cells metabolise (bioactivate) drugs? Clues to investigate in vitro the onset of an hypersensitivity reaction
José Castell (University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain)
17.15 – 17.30 Utility and limitations of a peptide reactivity assay to predict fragrance allergens in vitro
 Andreas Natsch (Givaudan Schweiz AG, Switzerland)
17.30 – 17.45 Gene expression signatures in CD34-derived dendritic cells exposed to contact allergens/irritants
Elke Schoeters (VITO, Belgium)
17.45 – 18.00 Application of DNA microarrays for immunotoxicological testing using different cell systems
Sandra Szameit (ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH, Austria)
   
19.00 – 19.15 Welcome
Dirk Fransaer, Managing Director VITO (Belgium)
19.15 – 19.30 Opening of INVITOX 2006
Under patronage of H.R.H. Prince Laurent of Belgium
19.30 – 20.30 Key-note Lecture in memory of Bjφrn Ekwall
Chair: Greet Schoeters (VITO, Belgium)

Pluripotent stem cells from adult or embryonic sources, recapitulate lineage differentiation and generation of tissue specific differentiated cells in vitro
Catherine Verfaillie (Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, USA and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium)
20.30 – 22.00 Walking reception
   
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2006
 
Session 3: New in vitro models and strategies
 
Chairs: Jan van der Valk (NCA, Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
  Tamara Vanhaecke (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
   
08.30 – 09.10 How predictive is in vitro toxicogenomics for in vivo toxicity?
Silvio Albertini (Roche, Switzerland)
09.10 – 09.40 Epigenetic alterations in toxicology – potential for mechanistic insight and biomarker identification
Richard Currie (Syngenta, United Kingdom)
09.40 – 09.55 Trichostatin A, a critical factor to maintain differentiation in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes
Tom Henkens (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
09.55 – 10.10 Development of an in vitro screening assay to detect drug-induced phospholipidosis by flow cytometry
Natalie Mesens (Johnson and Johnson PRD, Belgium)
10.10 – 10.25 Predicting immunogenicity of drugs using a disposable tissue culture system
Michael Sachariat (ProBioGen AG, Germany)
10.25 – 10.40 DropChip Cell-based assays in nanodrops for High Content in vitro toxicology testing
Fréderic Lemaire (CEA Grenoble, France)
10.40 – 11.10 Coffee break and poster viewing
   
Session 4: Acute toxicity / topical toxicity
 
Chairs: Cecilia Clemedson (Expertrεdet AB, Sweden)
  Marleen Maras (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
   
11.10 – 11.50 In vitro topical toxicity testing: current status with a focus on the Colipa research Programme
Odile de Silva (L’Oréal, France)
11.50 - 12.10 Optimisation and pre-validation of an in vitro test strategy for predicting human acute toxicity: progress report from the ACuteTox project
Cecilia Clemedson (Expertrådet AB, Sweden)
12.10 – 12.25 Comparative in vitro study for determining the toxicity and safety of chemicals and their mixtures
Rola Azzi (The University of New South Wales, Australia)
12.25 – 12.40 Keeping an eye on irritation: ECVAM's activities in the field of eye and skin irritation
Claudius Griesinger (ECVAM-JRC, Italy)
12.40 – 12.55 Further development of a micronucleus assay using the human 3-D skin model, EPIDERMTM
Rodger Curren (Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc., USA)
12.55 – 13.10 Prevalidation of the Slug Mucosal Irritation test to assess the eye irritation potency of chemicals
Els Adriaens (Ghent University, Belgium)
13.10 – 14.30 Lunch and poster viewing
   
Session 5: In vitro tests for safety evaluation of the environment
 
Chairs: Anne Kahru (National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Estonia)
  Hilda Witters (VITO, Belgium)
   
14.30 – 15.10 New concepts and integrated testing for bioaccumulation assessments
Annie Weisbrod (Procter & Gamble, USA)
15.10 – 15.30 Environmental hazard assessment: opportunities and challenges for the use of in vitro test methods
Hilda Witters (VITO, Belgium)
15.30 – 15.45 Development of a strategy to predict acute fish lethality using fish cell lines and fish embryo
Kristin Schirmer (UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Germany)
15.45 – 16.00 Cytotoxicity, CYP1A induction and estrogenic activity in vitro of water extracts from a landfill
Karl Fent (University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and ETH Zürich, Switzerland)
16.00 – 16.15 Microarray analyses as a tool to unravel the toxic mode of action of environmental pollutants
Marleen Maras (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
16.15 – 16.30 Ecotoxicological evaluation of five environmental contaminants using a battery of marine bioassays
Ailbhe Macken (Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, Ireland)
16.30 – 17.30 General assembly ESTIV
   
18.00 – 23.00 Old Flemish Banquet in Bruges
   
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2006
 
Session 6: Stem cells in vitro, expectations and limitations?
 
Chairs: Horst Spielmann (ZEBET, Germany)
  Vera Rogiers (Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ecopa, Belgium)
   
09.00 – 09.40 Perspective of stem cell research and therapy
Karim Nayernia (Institute of Human Genetics, United Kingdom)
09.40 – 09.55 The use of murine embryonic stem cells for assessing developmental neurotoxicity in vitro
Andrea Seiler (ZEBET, Germany)
09.55 – 10.10 Stem cell three-dimensional culture for drug evaluation and toxicity testing
Zhanfeng Cui (Oxford University, United Kingdom)
10.10 – 10.25 Establishment of human neural progenitor cells as novel tool for in vitro DNT testing
Michaela Moors (Institut für umweltmedizinische Forschung, Germany)
10.25 – 10.40 Differentiation of postnatal progenitor cells into hepatocyte-like cells
Sarah Snykers (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
10.40 – 11.10 Coffee break and poster viewing
   
Session 7: Barriers for chemicals: in vivo versus in vitro
 
Chairs: Robert Combes (FRAME, United Kingdom)
  Els Adriaens (University Ghent, Belgium)
   
11.10 – 11.50 Human placenta as alternative
Lisbeth Knudsen (University Copenhagen, Denmark)
11.50 – 12.05 Transplacental models in the assessment of fetal exposure and risk – does the placenta act as a barrier?
Margaret Saunders (Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre, United Kingdom)
12.05 – 12.20 Effects of mineral nanoparticles on in vitro model of blood brain barrier
Nicolas Perrière (National Institute of Industrial Environment and Risk, France)
12.20 – 12.35 Comparative in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of selected gaseous compounds using human lung cells
Shahnaz Bakand (The University of New South Wales, Australia)
12.35 – 12.50 An in vitro model with increased metabolic competence for the identification of toxic compounds
Anne Kienhuis (Maastricht University, The Netherlands)
12.50 – 14.30 Lunch and poster viewing
   
Session 8: Protecting the unborn, in vitro reprotoxicity and developmental toxicity
 
Chairs: Thomas Hartung (ECAVM-JRC, Italy)
  Rita Cortvrindt (EggCentris, Belgium)
   
14.30 – 15.10 Struggles for equivalence: in vitro developmental toxicity models in pharmaceuticals in 2006
Robert Chapin (Pfizer, USA)
15.10 – 15.30 Development of testing batteries for the identification of reproductive toxicants in vitro: progress of the ReProTect project
Susanne Bremer (ECVAM-JRC, Italy)
15.30 – 15.45 Postimplantation rat whole-embryo culture assay: in vitro - in vivo extrapolation
Jos Bessems (RIVM, The Netherlands)
15.45 – 16.00 The antibiotic streptomycin assessed in a battery of in vitro tests for reprotoxicity
Kelly Lemeire (EggCentris NV, Belgium)
16.00 – 16.15 Sertoli cell based assays for identifying chemicals with a potential to induce testicular damages
Anne Tilloy (Pfizer Global R&D, France)
16.15 – 16.30 Molecular targets and early response biomarkers for prediction of developmental toxicity in vitro
Michael Stigson (Uppsala University, Sweden)
   
19.00 – .... Conference dinner and dance, student awards
   
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2006
 
Session 9: In silico research and prediction models
 
Chairs: Philippe Vanparys (Johnson & Johnson PRD, Belgium)
  Greet Schoeters (VITO, Belgium)
   
09.00 – 09.40 Predicting the absence of skin irritation with physical-chemical rules is safe and sound
Etje Hulzebos (National Institute for Public Health and Environment, The Netherlands)
09.40 – 10.00 Biosimulation – A new Approach to Drug Development: progress of the BioSim project
Erik Mosekilde (Technical University Denmark, Denmark)
10.00 – 10.15 Integrated decision-tree testing strategies for use in REACH
Robert Combes (FRAME, United Kingdom)
10.15 – 10.30 AcuBase - an integrated database for in vivo and in vitro acute toxicity of chemicals
Agnieszka Kinsner (ECVAM-JRC, Italy)
10.30 – 10.45 Prediction of embryotoxic effect levels with a combination of in vitro studies and PBPK modeling
Miriam Verwei (TNO Quality of Life, The Netherlands)
10.45 – 11.00 Prediction of serum levels of chemicals being equivalent to toxic concentrations in vitro
Michael Gülden (Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology for Natural Sciences, Germany)
11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break and poster viewing
   
Session 10: Regulatory requirements versus in vitro research – future testing strategies
 
Chairs: Horst Spielmann (ZEBET, Germany)
  Greet Schoeters (VITO, Belgium)
   
11.30 – 13.00 Debate: making the unpossible work
Academia: Vera Rogiers (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
Industry: Philippe Vanparys (Johnson & Johnson PRD, Belgium)
ECVAM: Thomas Hartung (ECVAM-JRC, Italy)
FRAME: Robert Combes (FRAME, United Kingdom)
EU Regulator: to be confirmed
13.00 – 13.30 Closing ceremony and farewell

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