Brazilian Platform for toxicogenetic studies and screening of new molecules in pre-clinical trials

Abstract

Toxicological screening is very important for the development of new drugs and for the extension of the therapeutic potential of existing molecules. Toxicological tests are required by regulatory authorities before any new drug trials can be tested on humans. In addition, they are used to regulate new products in several other segments, such as environmental chemicals, cosmetics, hygiene products. It is known that with the advancement of medical technology, the number of animals used in preclinical research has increased, leading to the use of millions of experimental animals. Therefore, the use of alternative methods to the use of animals has gained great importance in the world, as well as the development of methods that approach in vivo conditions is a current necessity in the world field. The 3D models are presented as the best in vitro tool to study the mechanisms of disease progression, as well as to evaluate the toxicity of new therapeutic approaches. These models, compared to two-dimensional models, allow for better cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction, better distribution of oxygen and nutrients approaching tumor behavior in in vivo systems. In this context, the present project proposes the development and validation of 3D models to evaluate the efficacy and toxicogenic safety of new products to be incorporated in the world market. (AU)