Cell-based method to detect skin sensitizers

A method of screening a plurality of compounds for skin sensitivity, the method comprising:

• for each compound:
• imaging immune effector cells positioned within a plurality of containers to obtain imaged cellular targets, each container being treated with a different concentration of the compound, the imaging being performed using a quantitative high-content cell imaging system;
• quantitatively measuring the imaged cellular targets over a range of concentrations of the compound to detect changes in multiple cellular targets of the immune effector cells associated with skin sensitivity;
• analyzing measurements obtained from the measured imaged cellular targets over the range of concentrations of the compound to determine if the compound is predicted to be a non-skin sensitizer;
• and
• recommending that the compound be further tested if the compound is not predicted to be a non-skin sensitizer.

A method of predicting whether a compound is a skin sensitizer, the method comprising:

• culturing immune effector cells positioned within a plurality of containers;
• treating each container with a different concentration of a compound;
• staining the cells in the containers with fluorescent materials;
• transferring the stained cells to a chemotaxis plate;
• applying chemokine to the stained cells in the chemotaxis plate;
• and
• acquiring images from the stained cells after the chemokine has been applied thereto;
• quantitatively measuring the imaged cellular targets over a range of concentrations of the compound to detect changes in multiple cellular targets of the immune effector cells associated with skin sensitivity;
• and
• analyzing measurements obtained from the measured imaged cellular targets over the range of concentrations of the compound to determine whether the compound is a skin sensitizer.