Alternatives to animal testing in cosmetic products: A patent applications review and future perspectives

IF 2.7 3区医学 Q3 TOXICOLOGY

Toxicology in Vitro Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-03 DOI:10.1016/j.tiv.2025.106187

Carine Cassimiro Cedrola, Clara Cassimiro Cedrola, Ana Cláudia Chagas de Paula, Juliana de Carvalho da Costa, Fernanda Maria Pinto Vilela

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Abstract

Ethical concerns, high costs, and scientific limitations associated with animal testing have accelerated the search for alternative methods to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical cosmetic formulations. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the global patent landscape related to non-animal testing approaches for skin care products, focusing on filings from January 2015 to March 2025, indexed in the Espacenet database. From 470 patent applications initially screened, 23 met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and were selected for in-depth analysis. Key innovations include 3D epidermal models featuring melanocytes, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands; advanced microfluidic chips, and enzyme-based chemical toxicity assays. Although supported by regulatory frameworks, challenges persist regarding standardization, reproducibility, and the ethical sourcing of human tissue. This patent application review reveals a clear shift toward advanced 3D models and organ-on-a-chip technologies that better replicate the complexity of human skin physiology. The trends observed indicate that alternative methods to animal testing are not only an ethical necessity but are also becoming a technological reality, offering more predictive, reliable, and efficient strategies for safety assessment.

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化妆品动物试验的替代方案：专利申请审查和未来展望。

与动物试验相关的伦理问题、高成本和科学限制加速了对替代方法的探索，以评估局部化妆品配方的安全性和有效性。本研究对全球护肤品非动物试验方法专利格局进行了全面分析，重点关注2015年1月至2025年3月的申请，并在Espacenet数据库中检索。从最初筛选的470项专利申请中，有23项符合预定义的纳入和排除标准，并被选中进行深入分析。主要创新包括以黑色素细胞、毛囊和皮脂腺为特征的3D表皮模型；先进的微流控芯片，以及基于酶的化学毒性分析。尽管得到了监管框架的支持，但在人体组织的标准化、可重复性和道德来源方面仍然存在挑战。这项专利申请审查揭示了向先进的3D模型和器官芯片技术的明显转变，这些技术可以更好地复制人类皮肤生理学的复杂性。观察到的趋势表明，动物试验的替代方法不仅在伦理上是必要的，而且正在成为一种技术现实，为安全性评估提供更有预测性、更可靠和更有效的策略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Toxicology in Vitro 医学-毒理学

CiteScore

6.50

自引率

3.10%

发文量

181

审稿时长

65 days

期刊介绍： Toxicology in Vitro publishes original research papers and reviews on the application and use of in vitro systems for assessing or predicting the toxic effects of chemicals and elucidating their mechanisms of action. These in vitro techniques include utilizing cell or tissue cultures, isolated cells, tissue slices, subcellular fractions, transgenic cell cultures, and cells from transgenic organisms, as well as in silico modelling. The Journal will focus on investigations that involve the development and validation of new in vitro methods, e.g. for prediction of toxic effects based on traditional and in silico modelling; on the use of methods in high-throughput toxicology and pharmacology; elucidation of mechanisms of toxic action; the application of genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics in toxicology, as well as on comparative studies that characterise the relationship between in vitro and in vivo findings. The Journal strongly encourages the submission of manuscripts that focus on the development of in vitro methods, their practical applications and regulatory use (e.g. in the areas of food components cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals). Toxicology in Vitro discourages papers that record reporting on toxicological effects from materials, such as plant extracts or herbal medicines, that have not been chemically characterized.