Challenges faced by african researchers to include multiomics approaches to decipher host-pathogen immune response to infectious diseases

1. KAMENI Mireille, PhD
Potential of Multi-omics Approaches to Decipher Host-
Pathogen Immune Response to Infectious Diseases:
Challenges in African ecosystem
THEME: Interdisciplinarity, digitalization and technological advancement for
sustainable development
Assistant Lecturer
University of Bamenda
Faculty of Science
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology
Postdoctoral Researcher
Laboratory of Immunobiology and Helminths infections (IBHI)
Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies
Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation /Yaoundé/Cameroon
E-mail: my.kameni@gmail.com
CAYS 2023

2. Contents:
Introduction
1. Host pathogen interaction
2. Infectious Disease in Africa
3. Multi-omics Approaches
4. Challenges in Implementing Multi-omics in African Ecosystem
5. Omics studies in infectious disease research in Africa
Conclusion

3. Introduction
1. Host-pathogen interaction
The host–pathogen interaction is defined as how microbes or viruses
sustain themselves within host organisms on a molecular, cellular,
organismal or population level.
Pathogens can do a variety of things to cause disease
and trigger host immune system
Basics for the development of effective
diagnostic tools, vaccines and treatment
strategies.

4. Half of all deaths in Africa are caused by infectious
diseases, compared to only 2% in Europe (Fenollar
et al., 2018)
2. Infectious Diseases in Africa : prevalence and impact
A threat to “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.”
Endemic diseases such as HIV, TB, and malaria
together account for more than 1.2 million deaths
per year on the continent (O’Neill, 2014).
Fig. A Map of Emerging, Re-emerging, and Other Diseases Reported to the Africa Centres
for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in 2020
Nkengasong and Tessema, 2020

5.  Limited resources
 Few Healthcare infrastructure
and Excellence research
centers specialized in
Infectious diseases
 Diverse pathogens
(polyparasitism)
 Lack of robust infection
markers
 No approved effective vaccine
Challenges
2. Infectious Diseases in Africa: challenges and solutions
Need for advanced
research approaches.
- Provide insight into complex immunopathology
- Research of host regulators of infection and
morbidity of endemic infectious diseases.
- Developpe High-sensitivity diagnostic tools
- Local Production of Vaccines, Therapeutic, and
Diagnostics
Solutions

6. 3. Multi-omics Approaches
What is Multi-omics ?
 The key to deciphering the hidden code of infection
 A 360-degree view of infection # reductionist approach of older methods
 From understanding to personalized medicine
 Speed and efficiency: variability of samples types (non-invasive), rapid data generation, process large number of samples
----> importance in scenarios like disease outbreaks.
Why Adopt Multi-omics ?
Genomics Transcriptomics Proteomics Metabolomics
Multiomics is Revolutionizing Research
https://www.illumina.com/techniques/popular-applications/multiomics.html

7. 4. Challenges in Implementing Multi-omics in Africa
 Genetic Diversity: various populations exhibiting unique genetic traits that
can influence immune responses, needs for validation studies in many countries.
 Limited Resources: Constraints of cutting-edge omics technologies in Africa,
 Infectious Disease Burden: carefully design experiments to ensure
representative of the natural disease contex.
 Environmental Factors: such as nutrition, sanitation, and exposure to other
pathogens can consistently influence immune responses.
 Data integration and interpretation: lack of experts in machine
learning, Artificial Intelligence, deeplearning.
 Capacity building: lack of training programs in bioinformatics, NGS
management, lack of intracontinental collaborative projects, collaborative efforts
between researchers and skateholders are essential for full potential of multi-
omics.
https://h3abionet.org/training/courses-and-events

8. Unit of Immunobiology and Helminth Infections (IBHI)
5. Omics studies in infectious disease research in Africa
https://www.ibhi-lab.com/
Center of Excellence for Spatial Multi-Omics research in Africa
(CESORA), in South Africa
1
2
https://www.ahri.org/register-now-intro-to-spatial-omics-workshop-2023/
Authors affiliation:
Cell Biology and Genetics Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan,
Ibadan, Nigeria
3

9. Conclusion
 Multi-omics approaches in Africa have a huge potential
for future research and advancements in infectious
diseases.
 Work together to Find innovative solutions and
collaborations that make multi-omics research feasible
and impactful in Africa.

10. Acknowledgement