“From In Vivo to In Vitro
– A Challenge for Skin Sensitisation Risk Assessment”
Report of the SCS Medal Lecture (3rd Mar 2005, London) by
David Basketter written by Marion Roberts (:then SCS President)
as published in IFSCC Magazine Vol 8 No. 2, 135-136.
Copyright IFSCC Magazine 2005 – Reproduced by kind permission of all parties.

Pre-amble (by Tony Burfield).
I thought this article would be useful for aromatherapists to read, since we tend to be somewhat deprived of state-of-the-art progress reports on safety matters! To help with interpretation of any unfamiliar immunological terms and acronyms, I have added keys to these, following the article end. Thanks to David Basketter, Marion Roberts and the IFSCC editorial board for allowing this to happen!

……. The article then follows in full as it appears in the IFSCC Magazine…..

"In Vivo to In Vitro-Challenge for Skin Sensitisation Risk Assessment"
Report on the SCS Silver Medal Lecture March 2005 London

In Vivo to In Vitro-Challenge for Skin Sensitisation Risk Assessment (PDF)
In Vivo to In Vitro-Challenge for Skin Sensitisation Risk Assessment (Word)

Acronyms
AISE: The international Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance
Products
COLIPA: The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association
ECVAM: European Centre for the Validation of Other Methods
IFSCC: The International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists
LLNA: Local Lymph Node Assay
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development
SCCP: Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products
SCS: Society of Cosmetic Chemists
WHO: World Health Organisation.

Glossary
Antigen: any substance (chemicals, pollen) that causes the immune system to
produce antibodies against it.
Buehler Test: an occluded application test using the guinea pig (Buehler
1965) to predict sensitisation. Now superseded by the LLNA Test which gives
animal welfare advantages.
Cytokines: small secreted proteins which mediate and regulate immunity,
inflammation etc.
Dendritic cells: an antigen presenting immune cell which functions to initiate
the immune response by activating lymphocytes and stimulating the
production of cytokines.
Haptens: a small molecule that reacts with a specific antibody but cannot
induce the formation of antibodies unless bound to a carrier protein or other
large antigenic molecule.
Magnusson & Kligman Maximisation Test: (Magnusson & Kligman 1970) a
predictive test based on induction by patch test or intradermal injection. If the
substance is a sensitiser the animals develop a specific sensitisation in 7-14
days.
T cells: A type of lymphocyte responsible for cell-mediated immunity.

References
Buehler E.V. (1965) “Delayed Contact Hypersensitivity in the Guinea Pig Arch. Dermatol. 91, 171-177

Magnusson B. & Kligman A.M. (1969) “The identification of contact allergens by animal assay, the guinea pig maximisation test method.” J. Invest. Dermatol. 52, 268-276.