University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have developed a novel way to test drug toxicity by monitoring the behavior of embryonic stem cells exposed to a drug-candidate compound.

Testing the toxicity of pharmaceutical candidates in lab rats before the compounds are judged safe enough for human clinical trials is notoriously unreliable. Often compounds that appear safe in the rodents prove to be toxic in humans.

Studying how potential drugs affect embryonic stem cells could provide a far more accurate prediction of a drug’s potential toxicity than conventional animal models can.