Effect monitoring focuses on the development and use of sensitive and specific methods for the detection of early biological effects after exposure to hazardous substances as well as for the detection of disease-specific biomarkers in body fluids, cells, and tissues of humans.
In the area of early biological effects, a particular focus is on the use of different methods to assess the effects of hazardous substances at the DNA level, including in blood cells or cells from urine of exposed individuals (in vivo / ex vivo). This includes, for example, the detection of DNA adducts, DNA strand breaks, micronuclei or chromosomal instabilities. A further focus is on utilizing of these detection methods in cell culture models of the lung and urinary bladder (in vitro). These are used, for example, in the organ- or tissue-specific assessment of combination effects of genotoxic and mutagenic substances.
In the area of disease-specific biomarkers, the focus is on developing and using epigenetic and biochemical methods for the sensitive and specific detection of cancer-specific biomarkers. For this purpose, biological samples from cancer patients and healthy individuals are examined at both, the gene and protein level. The aim is to develop non-invasive diagnostic methods for various types of cancer. A special focus is on biomarker methods for the (early) detection of urogenital tumors as well as tumors of the respiratory tract and skin. The spectrum of investigations includes the quantitative determination of DNA methylation, mRNA, and protein expression. In addition, cytogenetic analyses are carried out.
In the area of toxicological advice, the main focus of the enquiries concerns the health risks for humans associated with occupational exposure to hazardous substances, for which only limited data is available. On the other hand, it is about the derivation of health-based limit values for hazardous substances at the workplace.
Toxicological advice and expertise are important for the justification and initiation of prevention measures and for their consideration in the regulations. They enable the accident insurance providers to assess possible health hazards at different workplaces in a forward-looking and practical way.
By means of literature research, expert opinion, and risk assessments of existing data on the exposure of employees to hazardous substances at the workplace, the IPA supports the German social accident insurance institutions for trade and industry (BG) and the German social accident insurance institutions for the public sector (UK) in the primary and secondary prevention of diseases caused by hazardous substances, as well as in the consideration of current scientific results in legislation. The IPA provides support in the design and specification of studies in close cooperation with the responsible German Social Accident Insurance institutions, the initiation of interdisciplinary projects and the mediation of cooperation partners for the BGs and UKs in solving special issues in occupational health practice. As an institute of the Ruhr University Bochum, the IPA also provides the results of toxicological advice and expertise to other institutions at federal and state level.
