Contact allergy induced by low molecular weight chemical compounds, termed sensitizers, is a serious health concern among the general population and in several occupational areas. To avoid exposure and use of such compounds, risk assessments have traditionally been performed using animal models. However, due to ethical concerns and restrictive legislations there is a paradigm shift towards replacing the animal tests with alternative non-animal testing strategies. The thesis aims at investigating underlying mechanisms in the dendritic cell activation towards skin sensitizers and to expand the applicability of an alternative in vitro assay used for testing of chemical skin sensitizers. The content in Tim's thesis in Immunotechnology provides an approach for better risk assessment of chemical sensitizers and provides further insight into dendritic cell activation in response to chemical sensitizers.

June 14^th, 2019 at 09.15 in the Medicon Village Auditorium

Faculty opponent: Professor Susan Gibbs, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands