A regionally based precision medicine implementation initiative in North Africa:The PerMediNA consortium

Yosr Hamdi¹, Maroua Boujemaa², Jihenne Ben Aissa-Haj³, Fouzia Radouani⁴, Meriem Khyatti⁵, Najah Mighri², Mariem Hannachi⁶, Kais Ghedira⁶, Oussema Souiai⁶, Chaima Hkimi⁶, Mohamed Selim Kammoun⁶, Nesrine Mejri⁷, Hanen Bouaziz⁸, Mohamed Amine Beloufa⁹, Hicham Charoute¹⁰, Abdelhamid Barakat¹¹, Imène Najjar¹², Hiroaki Taniguchi¹³, Natalia Pietrosemoli¹⁴; PerMediNA Consortium; Koussay Dellagi¹⁵, Sonia Abdelhak², Mohamed Samir Boubaker³, Claudia Chica¹⁴, Etienne Rouleau¹⁶

Collaborators, Affiliations

Collaborators

PerMediNA Consortium:
Abdellatif Benider, Adil El-Hamouchi, Ait Younes Sonia, Alia Ben Kahla, Amimer Abdelmalik, Amir Zine charif, Amira Jaballah, Amira Louiza, Amina Gihbid, Bachir Achouak, Belabdi Djihad, Belhadef Said, Belnoui Rafika, Belarbi Ayed, Benchakroune Nadia, Benchakroun Nadia, Beninal Meriem, Benkali Radja, Bensihamdi Asma, Benyoucef Hichem, Bendimred Thouraya, Bensouf Nadir, Bennoui Rafika, Berrazegua Yosra, Biskri Latefa, Bouaouni Saida, Bouanika Meriem, Bouamra Abderezzak, Bouaziz Hanen, Boudinar Fatma Zohra, Bouhara Sabrina, Boussouf Nadir, Boutayeb Saber, Bounedjar Adda, Chabati Omar, Charfeddine Cherine, Chilla Dalia, Chiraz Mehemmai, Cyrine Bouabid, Dahnane Souad, Diab Soraya, Dib Hocine Adlane, Dorra Wider, Derrar Fawzi, Elkeboub Amina, El Attar Hicham, El Fahime Elmostafa, Elhadef Djazia, Emna Fehri, Farid Hakkou, Farida Hadjam, Fanny Mamboisse, Gais Widad, Gharnaout Merzak, Guessoum Amir Nidhal, Hadjam Farida, Hadj Sahraoui, Haifa Rachdi, Hamza Yaiche, Hannachi Leila, Hassan Mahfouf, Hend Bouguerra, Hicham El Attar, Hichem Ben Hassine, Houda Filali, Houda Harmak, Houda Kanaane, Ichrak Benamri, Imane El Alami, Kassa Reda, Karima Bendahhou, Khaoula Errafii, Khalid El Bairi, Khaali Wafaa, Karkouri Mehdi, Kabbage Maria, Kammoun Wafa, Kanaane Houda, Kassa Reda, Laouar Narimane, Latefa Biskri, Louiza Amira, Louise Marie, Charion Chevalier, Maloum Nabila, Marc Monot, Mariem Saadi, Mario Campone, Mehdi Mrad, Mehdi Karkouri, Melizi Mohamed, Meriem Saadi, Meriem Chaher, Monia Ardhaoui, Mourad Taleb, Nadia Ben Jmiaa, Nadia Benchakroun, Najet Hadhri, Nawel Salhi, Nezha Taoufiq, Nouha Jandoubi, Ouahioune Wahiba, Ouldslimane Salima, Rafika Belnoui, Rahman Amira Louiza, Rym Benkhalifa, Saber Boutaib, Saber Boutayeb, Samia Menif, Salima Ouldslimane, Samuel Valcke, Slimani Assia, Sonia Ben Nasr, Sonia Maatoug, Sonia Ait Younes, Souad Benchehida, Souad Bekouaci, Souha Sahraoui, Tali Maamar Hassiba, Talha Soraya, Taleb Mourad, Terkmani Fella, Talha Soraya, Touisi Wassila, Wafa Kammoun, Wahiba Ouahioune, Yosra Berrazegua, Zemmour Amel, Zeroual Sarah, Zine Charif Amir, Zineb Zouafi

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia. Electronic address: yosr.hamdi@pasteur.utm.tn.
² Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia.
³ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; Department of Human and Experimental Pathology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis 1002, Tunisia.
⁴ Chlamydiae and Mycoplasmas Laboratory, Research Department, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.
⁵ Laboratory of Viral Oncology, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.
⁶ Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics and Biostatistics LR20IPT09, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia.
⁷ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; Medical Oncology Department, Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
⁸ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; Department of Carcinological Surgery, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia.
⁹ Virology Department, Institut pasteur d'Algérie, Algeria.
¹⁰ Research unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.
¹¹ Laboratory of Genomics and Human Genetics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc 20360, Casablanca, Morocco.
¹² Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris 75015, France.
¹³ The Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland; University Mohamed VI, Morocco.
¹⁴ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub F-75015, Paris, France.
¹⁵ Pasteur Network Association, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
¹⁶ Department of Biology and Pathology-Cancer Genetics Laboratory-Gustave Roussy 94805, Villejuif, France.

PMID: 38537326
PMCID: PMC11391035
DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101940

A regionally based precision medicine implementation initiative in North Africa:The PerMediNA consortium

Yosr Hamdi et al. Transl Oncol. 2024 Jun.

. 2024 Jun:44:101940.

doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101940. Epub 2024 Mar 26.

Authors

Collaborators

PerMediNA Consortium:
Abdellatif Benider, Adil El-Hamouchi, Ait Younes Sonia, Alia Ben Kahla, Amimer Abdelmalik, Amir Zine charif, Amira Jaballah, Amira Louiza, Amina Gihbid, Bachir Achouak, Belabdi Djihad, Belhadef Said, Belnoui Rafika, Belarbi Ayed, Benchakroune Nadia, Benchakroun Nadia, Beninal Meriem, Benkali Radja, Bensihamdi Asma, Benyoucef Hichem, Bendimred Thouraya, Bensouf Nadir, Bennoui Rafika, Berrazegua Yosra, Biskri Latefa, Bouaouni Saida, Bouanika Meriem, Bouamra Abderezzak, Bouaziz Hanen, Boudinar Fatma Zohra, Bouhara Sabrina, Boussouf Nadir, Boutayeb Saber, Bounedjar Adda, Chabati Omar, Charfeddine Cherine, Chilla Dalia, Chiraz Mehemmai, Cyrine Bouabid, Dahnane Souad, Diab Soraya, Dib Hocine Adlane, Dorra Wider, Derrar Fawzi, Elkeboub Amina, El Attar Hicham, El Fahime Elmostafa, Elhadef Djazia, Emna Fehri, Farid Hakkou, Farida Hadjam, Fanny Mamboisse, Gais Widad, Gharnaout Merzak, Guessoum Amir Nidhal, Hadjam Farida, Hadj Sahraoui, Haifa Rachdi, Hamza Yaiche, Hannachi Leila, Hassan Mahfouf, Hend Bouguerra, Hicham El Attar, Hichem Ben Hassine, Houda Filali, Houda Harmak, Houda Kanaane, Ichrak Benamri, Imane El Alami, Kassa Reda, Karima Bendahhou, Khaoula Errafii, Khalid El Bairi, Khaali Wafaa, Karkouri Mehdi, Kabbage Maria, Kammoun Wafa, Kanaane Houda, Kassa Reda, Laouar Narimane, Latefa Biskri, Louiza Amira, Louise Marie, Charion Chevalier, Maloum Nabila, Marc Monot, Mariem Saadi, Mario Campone, Mehdi Mrad, Mehdi Karkouri, Melizi Mohamed, Meriem Saadi, Meriem Chaher, Monia Ardhaoui, Mourad Taleb, Nadia Ben Jmiaa, Nadia Benchakroun, Najet Hadhri, Nawel Salhi, Nezha Taoufiq, Nouha Jandoubi, Ouahioune Wahiba, Ouldslimane Salima, Rafika Belnoui, Rahman Amira Louiza, Rym Benkhalifa, Saber Boutaib, Saber Boutayeb, Samia Menif, Salima Ouldslimane, Samuel Valcke, Slimani Assia, Sonia Ben Nasr, Sonia Maatoug, Sonia Ait Younes, Souad Benchehida, Souad Bekouaci, Souha Sahraoui, Tali Maamar Hassiba, Talha Soraya, Taleb Mourad, Terkmani Fella, Talha Soraya, Touisi Wassila, Wafa Kammoun, Wahiba Ouahioune, Yosra Berrazegua, Zemmour Amel, Zeroual Sarah, Zine Charif Amir, Zineb Zouafi

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia. Electronic address: yosr.hamdi@pasteur.utm.tn.
² Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia.
³ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; Department of Human and Experimental Pathology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis 1002, Tunisia.
⁴ Chlamydiae and Mycoplasmas Laboratory, Research Department, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.
⁵ Laboratory of Viral Oncology, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.
⁶ Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics and Biostatistics LR20IPT09, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia.
⁷ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; Medical Oncology Department, Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
⁸ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, LR20IPT05, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; Department of Carcinological Surgery, Salah Azaiez Institute, Tunis, Tunisia.
⁹ Virology Department, Institut pasteur d'Algérie, Algeria.
¹⁰ Research unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.
¹¹ Laboratory of Genomics and Human Genetics, Institut Pasteur du Maroc 20360, Casablanca, Morocco.
¹² Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris 75015, France.
¹³ The Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland; University Mohamed VI, Morocco.
¹⁴ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub F-75015, Paris, France.
¹⁵ Pasteur Network Association, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
¹⁶ Department of Biology and Pathology-Cancer Genetics Laboratory-Gustave Roussy 94805, Villejuif, France.

PMID: 38537326
PMCID: PMC11391035
DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101940

Abstract

Precision Medicine is being increasingly used in the developed world to improve health care. While several Precision Medicine (PM) initiatives have been launched worldwide, their implementations have proven to be more challenging particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To address this issue, the "Personalized Medicine in North Africa" initiative (PerMediNA) was launched in three North African countries namely Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. PerMediNA is coordinated by Institut Pasteur de Tunis together with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, with the support of Institut Pasteur in France. The project is carried out along with Institut Pasteur d'Algérie and Institut Pasteur du Maroc in collaboration with national and international leading institutions in the field of PM including Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris. PerMediNA aims to assess the readiness level of PM implementation in North Africa, to strengthen PM infrastructure, to provide workforce training, to generate genomic data on North African populations, to implement cost effective, affordable and sustainable genetic testing for cancer patients and to inform policy makers on how to translate research knowledge into health products and services. Gender equity and involvement of young scientists in this implementation process are other key goals of the PerMediNA project. In this paper, we are describing PerMediNA as the first PM implementation initiative in North Africa. Such initiatives contribute significantly in shortening existing health disparities and inequities between developed and developing countries and accelerate access to innovative treatments for global health.

Keywords: Affordable genetic testing; Capacity building; Equity; North Africa; Precision medicine.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image, graphical abstract — **Graphical abstract**

Fig 1 — **Fig. 1**
Description of PerMediNA consortium partners.

Fig 2 — **Fig. 2**
Methodology used to assess the Readiness Level for PM implementation.

Fig 3 — **Fig. 3**
Methodology used for sample collection and Data Analysis.

**. 4**
The six pillars of PM readiness level assessment.

Fig 5 — **Fig. 5**
The training programs of the PerMediNA project.

Fig 6 — **Fig. 6**
The CRISPR-Cas gene editing technique that will be used for functional assays in the framework of the PerMediNA project. This figure was created using BioRender.com.

Fig 7 — **Fig. 7**
Interaction between PerMediNA and other International initiatives and Consortia on personalized medicine.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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A regionally based precision medicine implementation initiative in North Africa:The PerMediNA consortium

Collaborators

Affiliations

A regionally based precision medicine implementation initiative in North Africa:The PerMediNA consortium

Authors

Collaborators

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources