Genomedika (GM NCD InCo) is a European Commission FP7-funded project. It’s one of the four Tunisian Era Wide projects whose specificity is to reinforce the cooperation capacities of research centres located in the ENP countries, which are not associated to FP7 at the time of the publication of the call. It gives to these countries the possibility to improve the research activities of their highest quality and/or promising centres in a scientific field addressed by the thematic priorities of FP7. The aim of Genomedika is to reinforce Institut Pasteur de Tunis capacities in genomic medicine, with applications in Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) investigation, and in International Cooperation activities. This project will facilitate joint science and innovation related activities between European and Tunisian researchers in the field of NCD. To achieve these aims the following actions are proposed: Setting and implementing training modules, two trainings on international project setting in the frame of European Framework Program, four advanced courses and theoretical and practical workshops in various aspects of structural and functional genomics, with a particular emphasis on NCD investigation will be organized. Exchange of visits between IPT, IP Paris and other EU laboratories working on relevant field are also planned to improve networking capacities. Two pilot projects will be performed, one on disease gene identification using next generation whole exome sequencing and one on a preliminary description of the genetic landscape of Tunisian population. The project duration is 30 months.
Why the NCD?
Tunisia, like are developing countries, is undergoing an epidemiological transition with a decrease of infectious diseases improvement of health indicators (decrease of maternal and child mortality) and an increase of the prevalence of non communicable diseases i.e. diabetes and its complications, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. These major non communicable diseases represent the predominant health problem of the 21st century. The NCD control and prevention is among the priorities of WHO, UN and E.U. These are also among the health research priorities in Tunisia. In addition to multifactorial NCD, genetic diseases are also included among these priorities as they are relatively frequent in Tunisia because of the high rate of consanguineous marriages. In a recent report, of researchers from IPT, on the spectrum of genetic diseases in Tunisia, a review of the literature, including other available information (gray literature) showed that there are at least 346 genetic disorders for which cases have been identified in the Tunisian population. Among these,62.9% are autosomal recessive, due to the high rate of consanguinity. The genetic basis of fifty percent of the reported conditions in this study is still unknown. This shows the great potential of the investigation of the genetic basis of these diseases to identify new genes.
Why the Institut Pasteur de Tunis?
Research and training programs at IPT are mainly oriented towards national health priorities and/or economic problems including rabies, leishmaniases, hydatidosis, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, measles, enteroviral infections, papillomavirus infections, etc. Other research areas include scorpion and snake envenoming, immune deficiencies, hemoglobinopathies and genetic diseases. More recently, investigation of genetic susceptibility to type II diabetes and to cancer, has been introduced. In the context of epidemiological transition and for the last ten years, IPT has introduced new activities in the field of non communicable diseases by creating new departments and recruiting researchers with various competencies (e.g. cytogenetics and human molecular genetics) to tackle new health challenges.