In this Research Brief, we spotlight the 3Rs research of Valerio Taggi, whose work advances replacement and reduction in neuroscience by addressing drug transport at the blood–brain barrier (BBB).

His project delivered two key outcomes: the establishment of a new human in vitro BBB model to study transporters, and the investigation of uptake transport with therapeutic relevance, together demonstrating a tangible 3Rs impact.

The established model is applicable across neuroscience, pharmacology and toxicology, supporting both fundamental and applied BBB research. It can be integrated into drug screening workflows to generate early-stage, human-relevant data on transporter-mediated uptake, helping to inform compound selection and reduce reliance on animal studies.

Learn more about this 3RCC-funded research project here, and access the training resources and SOPs for the use of the model.