Assessing the utility of liquid biopsy for detecting actionable genetic mutations among indigenous Ghanaian women with metastatic breast cancer.
Liquid biopsy detected multiple actionable variants in Ghanaian women with breast cancer that a tissue-only workflow missed. cfDNA analysis featured less variations in sample preparation which is a key consideration in resource-limited settings.
Liquid Biopsy – The necessary first step towards democratising precision oncology?
While IHC and imaging are useful for diagnosing and staging cancers, they are limited in their ability to inform clinical decision-making regarding the use of increasingly available targeted therapies that are revolutionising cancer care in developed countries. For this, more advanced molecular tests are required, and next generation sequencing-based liquid biopsy tests are at the cutting edge.
Global team to study international differences in COVID-19 immunity
Supported by £3.1 million from the Wellcome Trust, the newly-created WWW Consortium links three leading studies in West Africa (Yemaachi Biotech Heritage Study), the West Indies (Windfall Study in Kingston, Jamaica), and West London (the Legacy Study), each tracking how both the virus and our immunity has evolved against COVID-19.
African biotech holds the key to transforming not just the health of African people, but our economies as well
Why has over a decade of political rhetoric and unprecedented donor support for scientific capacity building not translated into more tangible scientific output?
A closer look reveals a glaring gap in the current structure of the scientific ecosystem in Africa – the almost complete absence of the private sector.
Probing SARS-CoV-2-positive plasma to identify potential factors correlating with mild COVID-19 in Ghana, West Africa
West Africa has recorded a relatively higher proportion of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases than the rest of the world, and West Africa-specific host factors could play a role in this discrepancy. Here, [the authors] assessed the association between COVID-19 severity among Ghanaians with their immune profiles and ABO blood groups.
Ghana startup strives for greater African representation in cancer research
As one of Ghana’s only labs equipped for molecular analysis, Bediako’s team have tasked themselves with collecting data they believe will advance the development of medicine for cancer patients throughout the continent and diaspora
Yemaachi, Africa’s Cancer Research Company, Raises Seed Round To Diversify Genomic Datasets & Advance Precision Oncology Globally
Yemaachi Biotech announced today the close of a $3 million seed round to advance its mission of diversifying precision oncology globally. V8 Capital led the round, with LifeLine Family Heritage Fund, Y Combinator, Tencent, LoftyInc Capital, VestedWorld, V Square Capital and Ethan Perlstein also participating.
Yemaachi Launches HPV Molecular Test in Ghana for At-Home Cervical Cancer Risk Assessment
GenomeWeb covers Yemaachi’s launch of its Sheba HPV Test, a convenient discreet way for women to screen themselves for HPV and assess their risk for cervical cancer.
First study to monitor COVID-19 vaccine-induced immune responses in Africa
Yemaachi Biotech’s Heritage Study is the first of its kind to compare immune responses to the same vaccine in both African and European populations, and could provide important insights into how vaccines can be optimally designed for African people