GARD: Genomic allergen rapid detection

Genomic allergen rapid detection (GARD) is an in vitro assay for the prediction of skin sensitizing capacity of chemicals. The GARD assay monitors changes in the expression of 196 genes, termed the GARD prediction signature. In short, MUTZ-3 cells, representing a well-characterized in vitro model of human dendritic cells (DCs), are exposed to the test substances for 24 h. After RNA extraction and analysis of expression levels, compounds are predicted as either sensitizers or non-sensitizers by a support vector machine model. Due to high information content, the test can deliver novel insights into pathway utilization and potency. Based on blinded test evaluations, GARD has been shown to have an accuracy of 89%.