In vitro immunotoxicity detection for environmental pollutants: Current techniques and future perspectives

Studies have revealed that immunotoxicity can be an effective window to evaluate the public health risk of environmental pollutants. Due to the fewer ethical concerns, easy culture methods, short growth cycles and lower labor and financial costs, in vitro assays are expected to emerge as popular immunotoxicity detection approaches. In this review, we provide a useful summary of cell-based immunoassays for detecting the immunotoxicity of environmental pollutants, presenting scientific challenges and potential research directions, which can also be referenced for screening drugs or additives in food/cosmetics. Current efforts to develop in vitro immunotoxicity measurements are focused on exploiting more effective endpoints, better simulating the in vivo environment and improving test throughput. Furthermore, more studies are needed to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms involved in immunotoxicity.