Biobide's DNT assay validated by NIH and US-EPA

Biobide, a subsidiary of Biat Group specializing in CRO toxicity and efficacy services using aquatic models, has participated in a major international study on developmental neurotoxicity (DNT), published in the scientific journal Neurotoxicology. The work was led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH), in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the University of Konstanz, and the IUF-Leibniz Institute, among other institutions.

The study analyzed 95 chemicals spanning a wide range of uses — pharmaceuticals, fungicides, insecticides, flame retardants, and industrial compounds — using a test battery covering the key processes of neurodevelopment, combining human and rodent cell-based models (in vitro) with Biobide´s in vivo zebrafish assay. Results showed that 93% of the substances evaluated were active in at least two of the processes analyzed, and that the zebrafish behavioral assay proved to be the most sensitive in the entire battery for detecting compound potency.

These findings come at an opportune moment for Biobide, as ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) has just published its main regulatory challenges for the coming years, including DNT as one of them. Given the need for DNT studies to be accepted when summitted to regulatory bodies, this validation and endorsement by institutions such as NIEHS and the US-EPA could facilitate the clearance process.

Why are DNT assays so important?

DNT assays are critical because they identify substances that, upon exposure during prenatal or early childhood development, can disrupt the formation and function of the nervous system, leading to permanent cognitive, behavioral, or motor deficits.