The EU-ToxRisk method documentation, data processing and chemical testing pipeline for the regulatory use of new approach methods.

Hazard assessment, based on new approach methods (NAM), requires the use of batteries of assays, where individual tests may be contributed by different laboratories. A unified strategy for such collaborative testing is presented. It details all procedures required to allow test information to be usable for integrated hazard assessment, strategic project decisions and/or for regulatory purposes. The EU-ToxRisk project developed a strategy to provide regulatorily valid data, and exemplified this using a panel of > 20 assays (with > 50 individual endpoints), each exposed to 19 well-known test compounds (e.g. rotenone, colchicine, mercury, paracetamol, rifampicine, paraquat, taxol). Examples of strategy implementation are provided for all aspects required to ensure data validity: (i) documentation of test methods in a publicly accessible database; (ii) deposition of standard operating procedures (SOP) at the European Union DB-ALM repository; (iii) test readiness scoring accoding to defined criteria; (iv) disclosure of the pipeline for data processing; (v) link of uncertainty measures and metadata to the data; (vi) definition of test chemicals, their handling and their behavior in test media; (vii) specification of the test purpose and overall evaluation plans. Moreover, data generation was exemplified by providing results from 25 reporter assays. A complete evaluation of the entire test battery will be described elsewhere. A major learning from the retrospective analysis of this large testing project was the need for thorough definitions of the above strategy aspects, ideally in form of a study pre-registration, to allow adequate interpretation of the data and to ensure overall scientific/toxicological validity.

Adverse outcome pathways: opportunities, limitations and open questions.

Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are a recent toxicological construct that connects, in a formalized, transparent and quality-controlled way, mechanistic information to apical endpoints for regulatory purposes. AOP links a molecular initiating event (MIE) to the adverse outcome (AO) via key events (KE), in a way specified by key event relationships (KER). Although this approach to formalize mechanistic toxicological information only started in 2010, over 200 AOPs have already been established. At this stage, new requirements arise, such as the need for harmonization and re-assessment, for continuous updating, as well as for alerting about pitfalls, misuses and limits of applicability. In this review, the history of the AOP concept and its most prominent strengths are discussed, including the advantages of a formalized approach, the systematic collection of weight of evidence, the linkage of mechanisms to apical end points, the examination of the plausibility of epidemiological data, the identification of critical knowledge gaps and the design of mechanistic test methods. To prepare the ground for a broadened and appropriate use of AOPs, some widespread misconceptions are explained. Moreover, potential weaknesses and shortcomings of the current AOP rule set are addressed (1) to facilitate the discussion on its further evolution and (2) to better define appropriate vs. less suitable application areas. Exemplary toxicological studies are presented to discuss the linearity assumptions of AOP, the management of event modifiers and compensatory mechanisms, and whether a separation of toxicodynamics from toxicokinetics including metabolism is possible in the framework of pathway plasticity. Suggestions on how to compromise between different needs of AOP stakeholders have been added. A clear definition of open questions and limitations is provided to encourage further progress in the field.

3D spherical microtissues and microfluidic technology for multi-tissue experiments and analysis.

Rational development of more physiologic in vitro models includes the design of robust and flexible 3D-microtissue-based multi-tissue devices, which allow for tissue-tissue interactions. The developed device consists of multiple microchambers interconnected by microchannels. Pre-formed spherical microtissues are loaded into the microchambers and cultured under continuous perfusion. Gravity-driven flow is generated from on-chip reservoirs through automated chip-tilting without any need for additional tubing and external pumps. This tilting concept allows for operating up to 48 devices in parallel in order to test various drug concentrations with a sufficient number of replicates. For a proof of concept, rat liver and colorectal tumor microtissues were interconnected on the chip and cultured during 8 days in the presence of the pro-drug cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide has a significant impact on tumor growth but only after bio-activation by the liver. This effect was only observed in the perfused and interconnected co-cultures of different microtissue types on-chip, whereas the discontinuous transfer of supernatant via pipetting from static liver microtissues that have been treated with cyclophosphamide did not significantly affect tumor growth. The results indicate the utility and multi-tissue functionality of this platform. The importance of continuous medium circulation and tissue interaction is highlighted.

96-well format-based microfluidic platform for parallel interconnection of multiple multicellular spheroids.

In this article, we present a microfluidic platform, compatible with conventional 96-well formats, that enables facile and parallelized culturing and testing of spherical microtissues in a standard incubator. The platform can accommodate multiple microtissues (up to 66) of different cell types, formed externally by using the hanging-drop method, and enables microtissue interconnection through microfluidic channels for continuous media perfusion or dosage of substances. The platform contains 11 separate channels, and each channel has six tissue compartments. Primary rat liver tissues were cultured over 8 days, and multiple tumor tissues (HCT116) were exposed to various concentrations of 5-fluorouracil for platform characterization.

Reconfigurable microfluidic hanging drop network for multi-tissue interaction and analysis.

Integration of multiple three-dimensional microtissues into microfluidic networks enables new insights in how different organs or tissues of an organism interact. Here, we present a platform that extends the hanging-drop technology, used for multi-cellular spheroid formation, to multifunctional complex microfluidic networks. Engineered as completely open, 'hanging' microfluidic system at the bottom of a substrate, the platform features high flexibility in microtissue arrangements and interconnections, while fabrication is simple and operation robust. Multiple spheroids of different cell types are formed in parallel on the same platform; the different tissues are then connected in physiological order for multi-tissue experiments through reconfiguration of the fluidic network. Liquid flow is precisely controlled through the hanging drops, which enable nutrient supply, substance dosage and inter-organ metabolic communication. The possibility to perform parallelized microtissue formation on the same chip that is subsequently used for complex multi-tissue experiments renders the developed platform a promising technology for 'body-on-a-chip'-related research.

High density continuous production of murine pluripotent cells in an acoustic perfused bioreactor at different oxygen concentrations.

Strategies for the production of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) rely on serially dissociated adherent or aggregate-based culture, consequently limiting robust scale-up of cell production, on-line control and optimization of culture conditions. We recently developed a method that enables continuous (non-serially dissociated) suspension culture-mediated reprogramming to pluripotency. Herein, we use this method to demonstrate the scalable production of PSCs and early derivatives using acoustic filter technology to enable continuous oxygen-controlled perfusion culture. Cell densities of greater than 1 × 107 cells/mL were achieved after 7 days of expansion at a specific growth rate (µ) of 0.61 ± 0.1 day⁻¹ with a perfusion rate (D) of 5.0 day⁻¹. A twofold increase in maximum cell density (to greater than 2.5 × 107 cells/mL) was achieved when the medium dissolved oxygen was reduced (5% DO). Cell densities and viabilities >80% were maintained for extended production periods during which maintenance of pluripotency was confirmed by stable expression of pluripotency factors (SSEA-1 and Nanog), as well as the capacity to differentiate into all three germ layers. This work establishes a versatile biotechnological platform for the production of pluripotent cells and derivatives in an integrated, scalable and intensified stirred suspension culture.

Derivation, expansion and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells in continuous suspension cultures.

We describe derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from terminally differentiated mouse cells in serum- and feeder-free stirred suspension cultures. Temporal analysis of global gene expression revealed high correlations between cells reprogrammed in suspension and cells reprogrammed in adhesion-dependent conditions. Suspension culture-reprogrammed iPSCs (SiPSCs) could be differentiated into all three germ layers in vitro and contributed to chimeric embryos in vivo. SiPSC generation allowed for efficient selection of reprogramming factor-expressing cells based on their differential survival and proliferation in suspension culture. Seamless integration of SiPSC reprogramming and directed differentiation enabled scalable production of beating cardiac cells in a continuous single cell- and small aggregate-based process. This method is an important step toward the development of robust PSC generation, expansion and differentiation technology.

The food additive vanillic acid controls transgene expression in mammalian cells and mice.

Trigger-inducible transcription-control devices that reversibly fine-tune transgene expression in response to molecular cues have significantly advanced the rational reprogramming of mammalian cells. When designed for use in future gene- and cell-based therapies the trigger molecules have to be carefully chosen in order to provide maximum specificity, minimal side-effects and optimal pharmacokinetics in a mammalian organism. Capitalizing on control components that enable Caulobacter crescentus to metabolize vanillic acid originating from lignin degradation that occurs in its oligotrophic freshwater habitat, we have designed synthetic devices that specifically adjust transgene expression in mammalian cells when exposed to vanillic acid. Even in mice transgene expression was robust, precise and tunable in response to vanillic acid. As a licensed food additive that is regularly consumed by humans via flavoured convenience food and specific fresh vegetable and fruits, vanillic acid can be considered as a safe trigger molecule that could be used for diet-controlled transgene expression in future gene- and cell-based therapies.

A designer network coordinating bovine artificial insemination by ovulation-triggered release of implanted sperms.

Synthetic biology has been successfully used to program novel metabolic function in mammalian cells and to design the first-generation of prosthetic networks that have shown the potential for the treatment of obesity, hormone-related disorders and hyperuricemia in small-animal model systems. By functionally rewiring luteinizing hormone receptor signaling to CREB1 (cAMP-responsive element binding protein 1)-mediated transgene expression via the common cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) second messenger pool we have designed an artificial insemination device which enables lutropin-triggered in-utero release of sperms protected inside cellulose-based implants. Swiss dairy cows treated with such in-utero implants containing spermatozoa and mammalian cells transgenic for luteinizing hormone receptor and CREB1-inducible expression of an engineered cellulase showed ovulation-triggered implant degradation and sperm release leading to successful fertilization of the animals. Synthetic devices plugged into endogenous control circuitry enable the body to automatically control spatio-temporal metabolic activities that could improve the economics of cattle breeding and provide novel opportunities for future therapeutic interventions.

A novel system for trigger-controlled drug release from polymer capsules.

Technologies currently available for the controlled release of protein therapeutics involve either continuous or tissue-specific discharge from implants or engineered extracellular matrix mimetics. For some therapeutic applications the trigger-controlled release of protein cargo from a synthetic implant could be highly desirable. We have designed the CellEase technology, a two-component system consisting of cellulose sulfate (CS) poly-diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride (pDADMAC) capsules harboring mammalian sensor cells transgenic for trigger-inducible expression of an engineered secreted mammalian cellulase (SecCell). SecCell is a Bacillus subtilis-derived (1-4)-beta-glucanase, which was modified by replacing the N-terminal part of the bacterial enzyme with a murine Igkappa-chain V-12-C region-derived secretion signal. SecCell was engineered for doxycycline- or erythromycin-inducible expression to enable trigger-controlled secretion by mammalian cells. Detailed characterization of SecCell showed that it was glycosylated and efficiently secreted by a variety of mammalian sensor cells such that it could internally rupture CS-pDADMAC capsules within which the cells had been encapsulated. When SecCell was inducibly expressed in sender cells, that were co-encapsulated with producer cell lines expressing therapeutic proteins, the removal of relevant inducer molecules enabled the time-dependent discharge of these therapeutic proteins, the kinetics of which could be modified by varying the concentration of inducer molecules or the amount of encapsulated sender cells. SecCell's capacity to rupture CS-pDADMAC capsules exclusively internally also enabled the independent trigger-induced release of different proteins from two capsule populations harboring different inducible SecCell sensor cells. CellEase-based protein release was demonstrated in vivo using capsules implanted intraperitoneally into mice that enabled the doxycycline-controlled release of a model glycoprotein and accumulation in the bloodstream of treated animals. Trigger-induced breakdown of tissue-compatible implants which provide a timely controlled release of biologics may foster novel opportunities in human therapy.

Adeno-associated viral vectors engineered for macrolide-adjustable transgene expression in mammalian cells and mice.

BACKGROUND: Adjustable gene expression is crucial in a number of applications such as de- or transdifferentiation of cell phenotypes, tissue engineering, various production processes as well as gene-therapy initiatives. Viral vectors, based on the Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) type 2, have emerged as one of the most promising types of vectors for therapeutic applications due to excellent transduction efficiencies of a broad variety of dividing and mitotically inert cell types and due to their unique safety features. RESULTS: We designed recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors for the regulated expression of transgenes in different configurations. We integrated the macrolide-responsive E.REX systems (EON and EOFF) into rAAV backbones and investigated the delivery and expression of intracellular as well as secreted transgenes for binary set-ups and for self- and auto-regulated one-vector configurations. Extensive quantitative analysis of an array of vectors revealed a high level of adjustability as well as tight transgene regulation with low levels of leaky expression, both crucial for therapeutical applications. We tested the performance of the different vectors in selected biotechnologically and therapeutically relevant cell types (CHO-K1, HT-1080, NHDF, MCF-7). Moreover, we investigated key characteristics of the systems, such as reversibility and adjustability to the regulating agent, to determine promising candidates for in vivo studies. To validate the functionality of delivery and regulation we performed in vivo studies by injecting particles, coding for compact self-regulated expression units, into mice and adjusting transgene expression. CONCLUSION: Capitalizing on established safety features and a track record of high transduction efficiencies of mammalian cells, adeno- associated virus type 2 were successfully engineered to provide new powerful tools for macrolide-adjustable transgene expression in mammalian cells as well as in mice.

InXy and SeXy, compact heterologous reporter proteins for mammalian cells.

Mammalian reporter proteins are essential for gene-function analysis, drugscreening initiatives and as model product proteins for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Bacillus subtilis can maintain its metabolism by secreting Xylanase A (XynA), which converts xylan into shorter xylose oligosaccharides. XynA is a family 11 xylanase monospecific for D-xylose containing substrates. Mammalian cells transgenic for constitutive expression of wild-type xynA showed substantial secretion of this prokaryotic enzyme. Deletion analysis confirmed that a prokaryotic signal sequence encoded within the first 81 nucleotides was compatible with the secretory pathway of mammalian cells. Codon optimization combined with elimination of the prokaryotic signal sequence resulted in an exclusively intracellular mammalian Xylanase A variant (InXy) while replacement by an immunoglobulin-derived secretion signal created an optimal secreted Xylanase A derivative (SeXy). A variety of chromogenic and fluorescence-based assays adapted for use with mammalian cells detected InXy and SeXy with high sensitivity and showed that both reporter proteins resisted repeated freeze/thaw cycles, remained active over wide temperature and pH ranges, were extremely stable in human serum stored at room temperature and could independently be quantified in samples also containing other prominent reporter proteins such as the human placental alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) and the Bacillus stearothermophilus-derived secreted alpha-amylase (SAMY). Glycoprofiling revealed that SeXy produced in mammalian cells was N- glycosylated at four different sites, mutation of which resulted in impaired secretion. SeXy was successfully expressed in a variety of mammalian cell lines and primary cells following transient transfection and transduction with adeno-associated virus particles (AAV) engineered for constitutive SeXy expression. Intramuscular injection of transgenic AAVs into mice showed significant SeXy levels in the bloodstream. InXy and SeXy are highly sensitive, compact and robust reporter proteins, fully compatible with pre-existing marker genes and can be assayed in high-throughput formats using very small sample volumes.

Design of custom-shaped vascularized tissues using microtissue spheroids as minimal building units.

Tissue engineering strategies are gathering clinical momentum in regenerative medicine and are expected to provide excellent opportunities for therapy for difficult-to-treat human pathologies. Being aware of the requirement to produce larger artificial tissue implants for clinical applications, we used microtissues, produced using gravity-enforced self-assembly of monodispersed primary cells, as minimal tissue units to generate scaffold-free vascularized artificial macrotissues in custom-shaped agarose molds. Mouse myoblast, pig and human articular-derived chondrocytes, and human myofibroblast (HMF)-composed microtissues (microm3 scale) were amalgamated to form coherent macrotissue patches (mm3 scale) of a desired shape. Macrotissues, assembled from the human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC)-coated HMF microtissues, developed a vascular system, which functionally connected to the chicken embryo's vasculature after implantation. The design of scaffold-free vascularized macrotissues is a first step toward the scale-up and production of artificial tissue implants for future tissue engineering initiatives.