The chip hosting embryonic tissue in suspended drops of culture medium (in green), viewed from below. Placental cells are cultivated in the light blue area in the centre of the photograph. (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Julia Boos)
The chip hosting embryonic tissue in suspended drops of culture medium ( in green ), viewed from below. Placental cells are cultivated in the light blue area in the centre of the photograph. (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Julia Boos) - Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a cell culture test to detect substances that are directly or indirectly harmful to embryos. Based on an existing test used for developing new drugs and chemicals, the augmented version is designed to help reduce the number of animal experiments. Drugs must be safe not just for the patients; in the case of pregnant patients, drugs must also be safe for the unborn children still in the womb. Therefore, at an early stage in the development of new medicines, candidate substances are tested in the Petri dish on embryonic stem cells from mouse cell lines. This is to avoid that an embryo-damaging effect would only be noticed at a later stage during tests with pregnant mice.
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