Indian Scientists Help Advance Non-Animal Method for Assessing Inhalation Toxicity
For Immediate Release:
16 September 2026
Contact:
Varulika Dixit; [email protected]
Dr. Ankita Pandey; [email protected]
New Delhi – A new study co-authored by PETA scientists and collaborators shows that laboratory-grown human airway models, instead of animals, can be used to assess the inhalation toxicity of surfactants, a class of chemicals commonly found in products ranging from soaps and cleaners to agricultural formulations.
The paper, “Human in vitro airway models to assess point-of-contact respiratory toxicity of surfactants and derive human equivalent concentrations after single dose exposure,” was published in Toxicological Sciences.
The human cell-based test method used in this study was also fed into an international, multi-laboratory effort funded and coordinated by PETA scientists. A laboratory from Gujarat was one of the participating laboratories, alongside labs in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Before pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other chemicals are bought and sold, regulatory agencies require testing to assess their potential toxicity to humans and the environment. Millions of animals are used in these tests each year, many based on methods developed decades ago.
The non-animal method advanced through this international effort uses laboratory-grown human airway tissue models that mimic features of the human respiratory tract, including mucus-producing cells and tiny hair-like structures called cilia that beat rhythmically.
This initiative demonstrated that these tissues can be shipped internationally and used by laboratories in different countries, an important step toward broader regulatory acceptance and global use. In August 2026, the project proposal was added to the work plan of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Test Guidelines Programme. While additional testing, analysis, and documentation are still needed, this represents a milestone in the path to global adoption of this non-animal method.
“The future of toxicity testing is reliable, non-animal science that best protects humans,” stated PETA India Science Policy Advisor Dr. Ankita Pandey. “India is at the forefront of advancing state-of-the-art methods that can more efficiently provide information about chemicals that is far more relevant to humans and doesn’t use animals.”
Anatomical and physiological differences between human and rat respiratory tracts limit the ability of rats to reliably predict how inhaled chemicals will affect humans. PETA scientists and their collaborators are advancing state-of-the-art methods grounded in human biology that can provide information more directly relevant to humans.
PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that ‘animals are not ours to experiment on’ – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow PETA India on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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