Injectable cell-laden gelatin-chondroitin sulphate hydrogels for liver in vitro models.

Liver extracellular matrix-based models that precisely reproduce liver physiology and functions are required as 3D culture microenvironments for multiple applications in toxicology and metabolism, or for understanding the mechanisms implicated in liver disease. We introduced injectable gelatin-chondroitin sulphate (Gel/CS) hydrogels for culturing HepG2 cells, and evaluated the mechanical properties and functionality of cells in different Gel/CS compositions. The Gel/CS hydrogels exhibited soft mechanical properties and allowed the HepG2 culture.

Computational Strategies for Assessing Adverse Outcome Pathways: Hepatic Steatosis as a Case Study.

The evolving landscape of chemical risk assessment is increasingly focused on developing tiered, mechanistically driven approaches that avoid the use of animal experiments. In this context, adverse outcome pathways have gained importance for evaluating various types of chemical-induced toxicity. Using hepatic steatosis as a case study, this review explores the use of diverse computational techniques, such as structure-activity relationship models, quantitative structure-activity relationship models, read-across methods, omics data analysis, and structure-based approaches to fill data gaps within adverse outcome pathway networks.

Lignin self-assembly phenomena and valorization strategies for pulping, biorefining, and materials development: Part 1. The physical chemistry of lignin self-assembly.

Physical chemistry aspects are emphasized in this comprehensive review of self-assembly phenomena involving lignin in various forms. Attention to this topic is justified by the very high availability, low cost, and renewable nature of lignin, together with opportunities to manufacture diverse products, for instance, polymers/resins, bioplastics, carbon fibers, bio-asphalt, sunscreen components, hydrophobic layers, and microcapsules. The colloidal lignin material, nanoparticles, and microstructures that can be formed as a result of changes in solvent properties, pH, or other adjustments to a suspending medium have been shown to depend on many factors.

Uncovering the toxicity mechanisms of a series of carboxylic acids in liver cells through computational and experimental approaches.

Hepatotoxicity poses a significant concern in drug design due to the potential liver damage that can be caused by new drugs. Among common manifestations of hepatotoxic damage is lipid accumulation in hepatic tissue, resulting in liver steatosis or phospholipidosis. Carboxylic derivatives are prone to interfere with fatty acid metabolism and cause lipid accumulation in hepatocytes.

Protectiveness of NAM-based hazard assessment - which testing scope is required?

Hazard assessment requires toxicity tests to allow deriving protective points of departure (PoDs) for risk assessment irrespective of a compound’s mode of action (MoA). The scope of in vitro test batteries (ivTB) needed to assess systemic toxicity is still unclear. We explored the protectiveness regarding systemic toxicity of an ivTB with a scope that was guided by previous findings from rodent studies, where examining six main targets, including liver and kidney, was sufficient to predict the guideline scope-based PoD with high probability.