Institut Pasteur de Dakar Sequences First Human Genomes in Senegal, Launches Cancer Detection Platform
The Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) has achieved a significant scientific milestone by sequencing the first 40 human whole genomes in Senegal, utilizing Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Concurrently, IPD has launched a new clinical laboratory and bioinformatics platform. This facility is designed to enable testing for predisposition to early-onset breast cancer and other rare heritable genetic changes within Senegal, as part of a broader research effort to address the growing cancer burden across Africa.
The Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) has successfully sequenced the first 40 human whole genomes within Senegal. This scientific achievement utilized both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies platforms.
In conjunction with this advancement, IPD also inaugurated a new clinical laboratory and bioinformatics platform. This facility is equipped to perform genetic testing for predisposition to early-onset breast cancer, specifically for individuals in Senegal. It also supports the identification of other rare heritable gene changes.
The launch of this platform is part of a comprehensive multidisciplinary research program. This initiative aims to integrate genomics with infectious diseases and environmental factors, with the overarching goal of addressing the increasing prevalence of cancer in Senegal and the broader African continent.
According to allAfrica, this development marks a significant step in genetic research and public health infrastructure in the region.
