Establishing African genomics and bioinformatics programs through annual regional workshops.

The African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP) Open Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics aims to overcome barriers to capacity building through its distributed African regional workshops and prioritizes the exchange of grassroots knowledge and innovation in biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics. In 2023, we implemented 28 workshops on biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics, covering 11 African countries across the 5 African geographical regions. These regional workshops trained 408 African scientists in hands-on molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics techniques as well as the ethical, legal and social issues associated with acquiring genetic resources.

Genetic variations in CYP2A6, CYP2E1, GSTM1, GSTT1 genes and the risk of Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in North African population.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a multifactorial malignancy associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphic deletions of the phase I and phase II genes involved in the detoxification of potential carcinogens may be a risk factor for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study, we investigated the relationship between CYP2E1 (rs3813867), CYP2A6, GSTM1(rs1183423000) and GSTT1(rs1601993659) gene variations and NPC risk in North African countries with the highest incidence of NPC (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).

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

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.

Development and validation of the first HBV qRT-PCR assay in the Mediterranean area targeting the X region.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health burden and affects approximatively 300 million people around the world. Since, HBV population is represented with genetic diversity, having different viral effects. Development of a new prognosis method play a key role on the efficiency of the different treatment.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA repair genes and the efficacy of radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

Introduction: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair genes are mainly correlated with the response to radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). In NPC patients, previous research has studied the association between X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 and 3 (XRCC1 and XRCC3) polymorphisms and radio-therapeutic response. The objective of our study was to test the association between XRCC1 Arg399Gln and XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphisms and the response to radiotherapy in the NPC Moroccan population.

Epidemiological, Clinicopathological and Prognosis Features of Moroccan Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Proposal: A distinct epidemiology, etiology, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic outcomes characterize nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from other head and neck cancers. An actualized analysis of NPC patients' features enables a global view of NPC management. Accordingly, the current study investigated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Moroccan patients with NPC, as well as their 4-years survival outcomes and influencing prognostic factors.

Prevalence of Polyomaviruses and Herpesviruses in Moroccan Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, accounting for 24.5% of total new cancer cases and 15.5% of total cancer deaths.

Genetic Polymorphisms in ERCC1 Gene and Their Association with Response to Radiotherapy in Moroccan Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Objective: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a severe malignant disease. Despite its low frequency, NPC is very common in North African population. Radiotherapy is the standard therapeutic treatment of NPC.

The Dynamic Change in Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Load over a Long-Term Follow-Up Period Predicts Prognosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

The current study was designed to investigate the changes in the circulating Epstein−Barr virus DNA load (EBV DNA) at various time points before and after treatment and its clinical significance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A total of 142 patients with NPC were prospectively enrolled in this study. The plasma EBV DNA concentration was measured before and after treatment using qPCR.

Screening of BRCA1/2 variants in Mauritanian breast cancer patients.

Background And Study Aim: Carrying a pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant increases greatly young women's risk of developing breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to provide the first genetic data on BC in Mauritania.

Methods: Using NGS based screening; we searched for BRCA1/2 variants in DNA samples from 137 patients diagnosed for hereditary BC.

Pretreatment [F]FDG PET/CT and MRI in the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the prognostic interest of metabolic and anatomic parameters derived from 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([F]FDG PET/CT) and head and neck magnetic resonance imaging (HN-MRI) for better management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: In this study, pre-treatment [F]FDG PET/CT and HN-MRI parameters of NPC patients diagnosed between January 2017 and December 2018, were prospectively investigated. Correlation between those parameters and 4-year patient's survival outcomes was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analyses.

Anthropometric Assessment of General and Central Obesity in Urban Moroccan Women.

In the last few decades, North African countries have faced the nutrition transition, leading to an increase in obesity, exacerbated by an extremely low rate of physical activity (PA). Particular attention must be paid to abdominal obesity (one of the metabolic syndrome criteria), which has been linked to several health problems. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of overweight/obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, in a sample of urban Moroccan women and to analyze the anthropometric indicators of metabolic syndrome risk among subsamples with different PA and socio-demographic characteristics.

The influence of Interleukin-6, Interleukin-8, Interleukin-10, Interleukin-17, TNF-A, MIF, STAT3 on lung cancer risk in Moroccan population.

To date, several studies have reported that key cytokines in the inflammatory system have important roles in the pathogenesis of cancer, notably in lung cancer. The aim of this case-control study, conducted for the first time in Moroccan population, was to investigate and to analyze the association of the following inflammatory cytokine genes Interleukin (IL)-6, Interleukin (IL)-8, Interleukin (IL)-10, Interleukin (IL)-17, Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNFA), Macrophage migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) with lung cancer risk in our patients. Firstly, the mRNA expression was assessed by a quantitative real time PCR in the peripheral blood of lung cancer patients and healthy subjects.

Psychosocial health and quality of life among North African women.

Studies on relationships between psychosocial factors and health among North African (NA) women are scarce. This research investigated the self-perceived psychosocial well-being of NA women by a structured questionnaire and anthropometric survey examining the possible explanatory variables of their mental health in comparison to a sample of NA migrants. The association of endogenous stress, psychological well-being, discomfort, and quality of life with migrant/non-migrant status, demographic characteristics, and adiposity indices was examined.

Degradation of p53 by HPV16-E6 variants isolated from cervical cancer specimens of Moroccan women.

Cervical cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in Moroccan women. The main etiological factor for developing cervical cancer is the persistent infection with HPV16. Genetic studies have reported the occurrence of amino acid variations within the E6 oncoprotein that promotes host cell transformation by targeting p53 for degradation.

Molecular characterization of mutations associated with resistance to second line drugs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis patients from Casablanca, Morocco.

The emergence and spread of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is a serious threat to global health. Therefore, its rapid diagnosis is crucial. The present study aimed to characterize mutations conferring resistance to second line drugs (SLDs) within multidrug Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-MTB) isolates and to estimate the occurrence of XDR-TB in Casablanca, Morocco.

Circulating cell-free epstein-barr virus DNA levels and clinical features in Moroccan patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: The identification of effective prognosis biomarkers for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is crucial to improve treatment and patient outcomes. In the present study, we have attempted to evaluate the correlation between pre-treatment plasmatic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load and the conventional prognostic factors in Moroccan patients with NPC.

Methods: The present study was conducted on 121 histologically confirmed NPC patients, recruited from January 2017 to December 2018.

HPV16 L1 diversity and its potential impact on the vaccination-induced immunity.

Human Papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) is the most oncogenic HPV and the most associated genotype with cervical cancer development and progression. Currently, all developed vaccines are targeting HPV16 and were designed based on the major L1 capsid protein. Thus, evaluation of the diversity of HPV16 L1 sequence, mainly in the antigenic regions, will be of a great interest to assess the efficacy of the prophylactic vaccines and to predict the impact of genetic variations in these regions on the vaccination-induced immunity.

Association of Variants in IL6-Related Genes with Lung Cancer Risk in Moroccan Population.

Purpose: Lung cancer is known to be a complex multifactorial disease, involving both genetic and environmental factors. The study of the different signaling pathways and the identification of the genes involved, will contribute to further understanding the pathogenesis of the disease, thus allowing the development of appropriate targeted treatments. Recently, the link between cancer and inflammation has become more evident and inflammation has been proposed as the seventh hallmark of cancer.

Targeted methods for molecular characterization of EGFR mutational profile in lung cancer Moroccan cohort.

The study of EGFR gene mutational profile in NSCLC patients has a special clinical significance in the selection of patients for tyrosine-kinase inhibitors therapy. From 2017, the targeted therapy started to be accessible in public sector in Morocco, thus, the implementation of techniques for the molecular characterization of EGFR mutations in the laboratories became a necessity. The aim of this study was to present targeted methods "ADx-ARMS technology and the Idylla™ system" for the identification of EGFR mutational profile, methods that can be implemented in our clinical laboratories for routine analysis instead of outsourcing analysis to other countries.

LungCARD - Report on worldwide research and clinical practices related to lung cancer.

Purpose: The management of advanced lung cancer has evolved tremendously over the past two decades. Increasing understanding of the molecular changes that drive tumor progression has transformed the treatment of this disease. Nevertheless, various countries differ in the degree of implementation of genetic tests and the availability of innovative drugs.

Joint effect of smoking and NQO1 C609T polymorphism on undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma risk in a North African population.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a higher incidence in North Africa than in most parts of the world. In addition to environmental factors such as Epstein-Barr virus infection and chemical carcinogen exposure, genetic susceptibility has been reported to play a key role in the development of NPC. NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 is a cytosolic enzyme that protects cells from oxidative damage.

Prevalence of mucosal and cutaneous human papillomavirus in Moroccan breast cancer.

Background: Due to recent technical improvements and some encouraging new results, there has been a resurgence of interest in the possibility that a substantial proportion of breast cancers (BCs) may be caused by viral infections, including Human papillomavirus (HPV). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mucosal and cutaneous HPV in tumours from Moroccan BC patients.

Materials And Methods: Frozen tumours from 76 BC cases and 12 controls were evaluated for the presence of 62 HPV-types using highly sensitive assays that combine multiplex polymerase chain reaction and bead-based Luminex technology.