Two GU researchers received grants from ‘Forska utan djurförsök’ (Research without animal testing)

Tomas Bergström, senior professor in clinical microbiology, is one of two researchers at GU who now receive funding from ‘Forska utan djurförsök’ (Research without animal testing). His project involves the development of drugs against respiratory viruses, using cultured human respiratory cells to replace mice and other animals usually used in similar research. The group has previously identified several promising substances, which are to be evaluated in cultured human airway epithelium in a multilayer model. If this study shows efficacy and low toxicity, the group can try to move on to Phase-1 clinical trials without animal testing at all. Malin Celander, NatFak, also receives funds for a project on toxicity tests based on fish cell lines.