The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing is an academic center affiliated with the Division of Toxicological Sciences in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 

Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Research Grants 1996-1997

In Vitro Embryonic Gene Expression as Markers for Developmental Toxicity

Ellen K. Silbergeld, PhD
University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland

Methods to detect effects of chemical exposure on early development remain relatively limited. Silbergeld and colleagues therefore propose to investigate measurement of early embryonic gene expression as a system to detect effects of toxicants on development, using the murine two cell embryo. The two cell embryo represents the earliest stage at the gene expression unique to the new organism can be detected. Hybridization and immunologic techniques are used to identify specific proteins. The project will compare effects of several model toxicants under in vitro and in vivo conditions, in order to validate the two cell embryo model. The model toxicants include vinblastine, lead, and diethylstilbestrol, ethylene glycol and isotretanoin.