TOKYO: The National Institute of Health Sciences and seven firms, including Shiseido Co. and Kao Corp. are developing a practical version of a cosmetics allergen test that uses human cells instead of laboratory animals. Shiseido and Kao co-developed the test’s underlying process, which uses human white blood cells to gauge allergic reactions. The cells are combined with a cosmetic compound and a special reagent. Whether the compound would cause an allergic reaction with the skin can be determi...