title: "Watching the Detectives" report of the general assembly of the EU project DETECTIVE Brussels, 24-25 November 2015.
abstract: SEURAT-1 is a joint research initiative between the European Commission and Cosmetics Europe aiming to develop in vitro- and in silico-based methods to replace the in vivo repeated dose systemic toxicity test used for the assessment of human safety. As one of the building blocks of SEURAT-1, the DETECTIVE project focused on a key element on which in vitro toxicity testing relies: the development of robust and reliable, sensitive and specific in vitro biomarkers and surrogate endpoints that can be used for safety assessments of chronically acting toxicants, relevant for humans. The work conducted by the DETECTIVE consortium partners has established a screening pipeline of functional and "-omics" technologies, including high-content and high-throughput screening platforms, to develop and investigate human biomarkers for repeated dose toxicity in cellular in vitro models. Identification and statistical selection of highly predictive biomarkers in a pathway- and evidence-based approach constitute a major step in an integrated approach towards the replacement of animal testing in human safety assessment. To discuss the final outcomes and achievements of the consortium, a meeting was organized in Brussels. This meeting brought together data-producing and supporting consortium partners. The presentations focused on the current state of ongoing and concluding projects and the strategies employed to identify new relevant biomarkers of toxicity. The outcomes and deliverables, including the dissemination of results in data-rich "-omics" databases, were discussed as were the future perspectives of the work completed under the DETECTIVE project. Although some projects were still in progress and required continued data analysis, this report summarizes the presentations, discussions and the outcomes of the project.
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ruani N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.affiliation: Centre of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Umesh
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Nikolai-Fuchs-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Sylvia E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Escher
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IFADO), Technical University of Dortmund, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hengstler
authors.affiliation: Centre of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hescheler
authors.affiliation: The Division of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.affiliation: Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Hector C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Keun
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University , Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jos C S
authors.initials: JCS
authors.lastname: Kleinjans
authors.affiliation: QURE Ltd. Ülikooli 6a, 51003, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Raivo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kolde
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften-ISAS-e.V., Otto-Hahn-Str. 6b, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Laxmikanth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kollipara
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kopp-Schneider
authors.affiliation: The Division of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Limonciel
authors.affiliation: Centre of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Harshal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemade
authors.affiliation: Centre of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Filomain
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nguemo
authors.affiliation: QURE Ltd. Ülikooli 6a, 51003, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Hedi
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authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: EURL ECVAM (The European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing), Systems Toxicology Unit, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy.
authors.forename: Pilar
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authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Robim M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Centre of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Agapios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sachinidis
authors.affiliation: Centre of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften-ISAS-e.V., Otto-Hahn-Str. 6b, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.|Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.|Medizinische Fakultät, Medizinische Proteom-Center (MPC), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sickmann
authors.affiliation: Centre of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Dimitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spitkovsky
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IFADO), Technical University of Dortmund, 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stöber
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University , Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Simone G J
authors.initials: SGJ
authors.lastname: van Breda
authors.affiliation: Division of Toxicology, Leiden/Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van de Water
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Manon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vivier
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften-ISAS-e.V., Otto-Hahn-Str. 6b, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: René P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Zahedi
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinken
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rogiers
mesh_terms: D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005062:European Union; D033161:Government Regulation; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers