Abstract: The present invention concerns an in vitro test for detecting the irritant potential of chemicals combining a corneal cell model with a selection of predictive and qualitative molecular markers to classify compounds into 3 categories, namely irreversible eye damage 21 days after application (category 1), reversible eye damage 21 days after application (category 2) and no irritation (no category). The inventors have thus demonstrated that the response following the action of an irritant substance occurs directly on an in vitro reconstructed corneal epithelium, and that the degree of irritation and the qualification of this irritation of a molecule may be determined by the use of specific biomarkers of eye irritation.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an in vitro test for detecting the irritant potential of chemicals combining a corneal cell model with a selection of predictive and qualitative molecular markers to classify compounds into 3 categories, namely irreversible eye damage 21 days after application (category 1), reversible eye damage 21 days after application (category 2) and no irritation (no category). The inventors have thus demonstrated that the response following the action of an irritant substance occurs directly on an in vitro reconstructed corneal epithelium, and that the degree of irritation and the qualification of this irritation of a molecule may be determined by the use of specific biomarkers of eye irritation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for evaluating the sensitizing potential of a test compound, and to a kit for implementing said method.

Abstract: A method for the in vitro production of a cell population P? from a cell population P, the production requiring the presence of at least one factor which is expressed by feeder cells, wherein a) feeder cells proliferate at a temperature T1, b) proliferated feeder cells are contacted with the cell population P, c) the cell mixture obtained at step (b) is cultivated at a temperature T2 which is chosen such that the cell population P proliferates and the feeder cells do not proliferate, the at least one factor being expressed by the feeder cells, and d) the cell population P? so produced is recovered. Advantageously, the production consists in an expansion, the feeder cells are insect feeder cells and the cell population P to be expanded is a T lymphocyte population, preferably a Trl lymphocyte population.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing antigen-specific Tr1 regulatory lymphocytes. The inventive method involves the use of artificial antigen-presenting cells expressing a molecule from the HLA class II system and a human LFA-3 molecule and expressing none of the B7-1, B7-2, B7-H1, CD40, CD23, or ICAM-1 costimulatory molecules.

Abstract: An in vitro method for the obtention of a food- or auto-antigen specific Tr1 cell population from a leukocyte or a PBMC population, includes stimulating the PBMC or leukocyte population with the food- or auto-antigen, and recovering the food- or auto-antigen specific Tr1 cell population from the stimulated cell population. Preferably, the PBMC or leukocyte population is re-stimulated at least once with the same antigen after step (1), in the presence of IL-2 and at least one interleukin selected from the group consisting of IL-4 and IL-13. The in vitro method may further include a third step of expanding the recovered antigen-specific Tr1 cell population, advantageously by contacting them with feeder cells capable of expressing factors necessary for the expansion. Preferably, the feeder cells are recombinant insect feeder cells.