Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

H-1096 Budapest, Gyáli út 2-6.

Postal address: 1437 Budapest, Pf. 839

Phone: +36 1 476 1184

Fax: +36 1 476 1227

E-mail: 

The basic activity of the Department is performing in vitro
laboratory tests in applied research level

and

setting and performing (GLP) test methods
that can be used according to the Council Regulation (EC) No 440/2008
when implementing the REACH directive

There are 3 working groups in the Department:

- in vitro Cell Culturing Group
- Molecular Biology Group
- Bacterial Mutagenesis Studying Group

Research Activity

– in vitro cell biology tests: effects and effect mechanisms of cytotoxic, genotoxic and endocrin disruptor substances on cell and gene expression level
– methodological developments and introduction of new methods

The research activity of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology is supported mainly by national and international research funds and in some cases by its business activity.

Research topics

– Study of chemopreventive agents. In vitro study of antioxidant chemicals that can be chemopreventive. Tracking of the change in antioxidant capacity during in vitro treatments.
– Use of in vitro systems in the prevention of hormone-sensitive tumors. Study of estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated effect in in vitro mammal systems, in ER+ and ER- human breast cancer cell lines.

Services

Testing of

- cytotoxic
- mutagene
- antioxidant and pro-oxidant, and
- xenoestrogen
substances.

Business activity

cytotoxic, mutagene and in vitro genotoxic GLP studies in compliance with Part B of the Concil Regulation (EC) No 440/2008:

– B.10 (in vitro chromosome aberration test)
– B.19 (in vitro mammalian sister chromatid exchange assay)
– ECVAM-ICCVAM-JaCVAM OECD TG487 (in vitro micronucleus assay), and
– B.13/14 (Mutagenicity: Reverse mutation test using bacteria – on setting) and
– OECD TG455 (Stably Transfected Human Estrogen Receptor-α Transcriptional Activation Assay for Detection of Estrogenic Agonist-Activity of Chemicals – on setting)

Teaching activity

Topics: The Basis of Chemical Safety; Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity
Graduate and PhD courses, practical training of the students:

– Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine: "Tumor biology" (http://www.tumorbio.sote.hu)
– Eötvös Loránd University: "Harmful chemical effects and their prevention"
(http://www.tumorbio.sote.hu)

The staff of the Department take part in the international work of the NICS (OECD Division of Environment, Health and Safety):

– Contact Point SIDS and HPV Chemicals
– Task Force of Hazard Assessment (TFHA)
– Task Force of Exposure Assessment (TFEA)
– Working Group of the National Co-ordinators of the Test Guidelines Programme (WNT)
– Advisory Group of Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics
– Advisory Group of Endocrine Disruptors Testing and Assessment (EDTA)
– Validation Management Group of Non-Animal Tests (VMG-NA)

Methods

– MTT-reduction test
– chemiluminescent study of antioxidants
– quantitative real time (rt)PCR technique
– cell cycle analysis with flow cytometry method

Cell lines

– CHO-K1 (ATCC CCL-61) Chinese hamster ovarian epithelial cell line
– MCF-7 (ATCC HTB-22) human breast carcinoma ER+
– MDA-MB-231 (ATCC HTB-26) human breast adenocarcinoma, ER-
– HepG2 (ATCC HB-8065) human liver carcinoma ER+
– Vero (ATCC CCL-81) monkey kidney fibroblast, ER-
– K562 (ATCC CCL-243) erythroleukemia cell line, ER-
– MRC5 (ATCC CCL-171, ECACC 84101801) not transformed diploide human lung fibroblast
– WI-38 (ATCC CCL-75) untransformed diploid human fetal lung fibroblast, ER-
– hERα-HeLa -9903 (Japanese Collection of Research Bioresources (JCRB) Cell Bank) human estrogen receptor and luciferase reporter containing cell line for studying the change in transcription activity of an estrogen receptor in accordance with OECD TG445