Newsletter April: AI-powered, label-free toxicology – Beyond animal testing

Welcome to the April edition of the AI for Live Cell Insights Newsletter, bringing you the latest live cell analyses powering drug discovery and cosmetics development. Each month, we will explore a new application of AI-based cellular analysis for label-free live-cell imaging, with publication highlights and news from . This month, we are highlighting two important events related to animal testing and emphasizing the urgent need for the development of innovative in vitro testing solutions. In this context, we are proud to present one of Nanolive’s AI-based digital assays for automated calculation of EC50 values, offering a powerful, label-free alternative to traditional animal-based efficacy studies. Finally, we are also featuring recent publications in the fields of neuroscience and oncology.

Driving a future beyond animal testing with AI-driven, label-free cell analysis

This month marks two important events: April 24 was World Day for Animals in Laboratories and on April 10th the historic FDA decision to eliminate the requirement for animal testing in drug development. At Nanolive, we are proud to support this shift with innovative solutions like one-click dynamic EC50 analysis and label-free cytotoxicity profiling, using our LIVE Cytotoxicity Assay, enabling scientists to assess drug and cosmetic safety directly in live cell cultures.

This paradigm shift embraces New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including AI-based models and human-relevant, cell-based assays, aiming to enhance drug safety, reduce development costs, and minimize animal use. At Nanolive, we are at the forefront of this transformation, offering a label-free live-cell imaging platform that provides real-time, high-content insights into cellular responses without the need for animal models or invasive labels.

Discover how real-time insights into mitochondrial health, lipid metabolism, and cell death dynamics are transforming toxicology testing — making research faster, more predictive, and more humane.

AI-Powered analysis and label-free imaging for advanced cell-based studies

• • • Monitor cell health dynamically, capturing real-time changes in morphology, mitochondrial function, and lipid metabolism.
    • Automatically calculate dynamic EC50 values at each timepoint, offering a comprehensive kinetic profile of drug responses.
    • Classify cell death modalities (apoptosis vs. necrosis) without the need for dyes or endpoint assays.
    • Leverage AI-driven analysis to extract quantitative data from single-cell to population levels, enhancing decision-making and reducing variability.

By integrating AI with label-free imaging, Nanolive’s platform aligns with the FDA’s vision of adopting NAMs to replace, reduce, and refine animal testing in drug development.

Applications Across Industries

Our solutions are applicable in various sectors:

• • • Biopharmaceuticals: Streamlining drug discovery and toxicity screening processes.
    • Cosmetics: Providing ethical and regulatory-compliant safety assessments.
    • Chemical Safety: Offering alternative methods for toxicity evaluation in compliance with global regulations

Driving the future of toxicology with Nanolive’s LIVE Cytotoxicity Assay: Join the movement toward ethical research

To commemorate World Day for Animals in Laboratories and support the transition to alternative testing methods, we invite you to explore our latest scientific poster:

“One-Click dynamic EC50 analysis: A label-free approach to cytotoxicity testing”

This resource demonstrates how Nanolive’s technology offers a powerful alternative to traditional toxicology methods, contributing to the global effort to reduce animal testing.

Together, we can foster a future where scientific innovation and ethical responsibility go hand in hand.

Enhancing photodynamic therapy research with Nanolive’s label-free imaging

In the pursuit of innovative treatments for glioblastoma, a recent study explored the efficacy of a water-soluble hypericin derivative, HHL-PVP, in photodynamic therapy (PDT). To assess the cellular uptake and localization of HHL-PVP, researchers employed . This approach allowed for real-time visualization of HHL-PVP accumulation within glioblastoma cells, providing critical insights into its potential as a photosensitizer in PDT.

The utilization of Nanolive’s imaging platform in this study underscores its value in advancing cancer research by enabling detailed observation of cellular processes without the need for labels or dyes. This underscores the importance of advanced in vitro models that can accurately monitor cellular responses to novel therapeutics. Nanolive’s label-free live-cell imaging technology, with its capability for real-time, AI-driven analysis of cell health and death modalities, offers an invaluable tool for such assessments. By providing dynamic EC50 calculations and detailed insights into cellular processes without the need for labels or dyes, our platform supports the development and evaluation of innovative treatments like HHL-PVP, aligning with the shift towards more ethical and human-relevant research methodologies.

Access the full article here.

Latest publication highlights with Nanolive imaging:

• Neurotoxicology: Malych, R. et al. (2025), ‘Eating the brain – A multidisciplinary study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying the cytopathogenicity of Naegleria fowleri’, PLOS Pathogens, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012995
• Nanotechnology: Zheng, Z. et al. (2025), ‘Electromechanical Regulation Underlying Protein Nanoparticle-Induced Osmotic Pressure in Neurotoxic Edema’, International Journal of Nanomedicine, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2147/IJN.S503181#graphical-abstract
• Microbiology: Li, Q. et al. (2025), ‘Staphylococcus aureus β-hemolysin impairs oxygen transport without causing hemolysis’, Journal of Infection and Public Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2025.2490208
• Oncology: Vejzovic, D. et al. (2025), ‘Glioblastoma targeting by water-soluble hypericin derivate HHL-PVP and photodynamic tumour killing’, Biopharmaceutics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118041
• Aging and metabolism: Bubb, K. et al. (2025), ‘Metabolic rewiring caused by mitochondrial dysfunction promotes mTORC1-dependent skeletal aging’, Science Advances, https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.ads1842

Find over 300 publications featuring Nanolive imaging here.

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