Partners: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO)

TNO is an independent research organisation bridging technological developments into practical applications for industry and government. TNO will contribute to the ESNATS project with physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling by extrapolating in vitro toxicology data to in vivo and integrating kinetics of the compounds. We will use our experience in PBPK modelling, in vitro and in vivo ADME and in vitro toxicology studies (with e.g. embryonic stem cells), link with genomics data and reproduction and neuro toxicology.

Key staff involved in the project

Miriam Verwei, PhD, obtained her PhD on the bioavailability of folate in man using an integrated approach of in vitro studies and kinetic modelling. She is currently working as study director in the Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism department at TNO on both in vitro and in silico studies. She is also involved in the EU FP6 projects ReProTect in the extrapolation of data from in vitro developmental studies (EST) to predict in vivo effect levels and OSIRIS on the development of tools for predicting internal exposure using kinetic data from in vitro and in silico sources.

Joost Westerhout, MSc, is experienced in mathematical and statistical modeling applied to pharmacology. He has finished a PhD project in pharmacology at the Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research on the regional distribution of drugs in rat brain with intracerebral microdialysis and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. He joined TNO as a scientist to develop translational PBPK models for in vitro-in vivo extrapolation of prenatal neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity.

Jochem Louisse, is PhD student at the University of Wageningen and is working at TNO on a project dedicated to predicting toxic effects of chemicals based on in vitro and in silico data.

Sieto Bosgra, PhD, is experienced in mathematical and statistical modelling applied to pharmacology and toxicology. He obtained his PhD in toxicology at Utrecht University's Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences on quantitative methods to predict combined effects of chemicals. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Dutch National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, he developed a generic PBPK model framework to gain insight in the interrelation between physiology, chemical properties and pharmacokinetics. He joined TNO as a scientist pharmacokinetics among others to develop translational methods for in vitro-in vivo extrapolation.

Further information: TNO - Pharma