Globetrotting firms: Canada's health biotechnology collaborations with developing countries

Ray, Monali; Daar, Abdallah S.; Сингер, Петер; Thorsteinsdóttir, Halla

doi:10.1038/nbt0909-806

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The present state of genomic research in Africa is in its infancy; nevertheless, substantial biomedical research continues to occur in the areas of agriculture, genetics, biomedical science and several other areas [17]. Excluding South Africa, research funding amounts to < .5% of GPD indicating that the majority of funding for scientific research, training and infrastructural development occur through support from high-income countries [76].…”

Section: Challenges For Genomics Research In Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within these countries an increase in life expectancy has been observed which can be attributed to medical innovation sparked by biotechnology and genomics (large scale vaccination programs), non-medical programs (continued education, improved literacy rate of the population) and other factors [16]. The factors necessary for the development and sustained utilization of large scale biotechnology including genomics, to develop sustainable economies are thoroughly discussed by Singer, Daar and colleagues [2,13,17,18]. This paper will express similar themes and focus on how biomedical research can address communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biomedical research, a tool to address the health issues that affect African populations

Peprah

Wonkam

2013

Globalization and Health

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Traditionally, biomedical research endeavors in low to middle resources countries have focused on communicable diseases. However, data collected over the past 20 years by the World Health Organization (WHO) show a significant increase in the number of people suffering from non-communicable diseases (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, cancer and pulmonary diseases). Within the coming years, WHO predicts significant decreases in communicable diseases while non-communicable diseases are expected to double in low and middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The predicted increase in the non-communicable diseases population could be economically burdensome for the basic healthcare infrastructure of countries that lack resources to address this emerging disease burden. Biomedical research could stimulate development of healthcare and biomedical infrastructure. If this development is sustainable, it provides an opportunity to alleviate the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases through diagnosis, prevention and treatment. In this paper, we discuss how research using biomedical technology, especially genomics, has produced data that enhances the understanding and treatment of both communicable and non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. We further discuss how scientific development can provide opportunities to pursue research areas responsive to the African populations. We limit our discussion to biomedical research in the areas of genomics due to its substantial impact on the scientific community in recent years however, we also recognize that targeted investments in other scientific disciplines could also foster further development in African countries.

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Section: Challenges For Genomics Research In Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomedical research, a tool to address the health issues that affect African populations

Peprah

Wonkam

2013

Globalization and Health

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“…HuR consensus RNA binding sequences are very degenerate and not precisely defined (Levine et al, 1993; de Silanes et al, 2004; Meisner et al, 2004; Ray et al, 2009), so a PWM score might not adequately depict a potential HuR:target interaction. Furthermore, both Lebedeva et al (2011) and Mukherjee et al (2011) showed that RNAs ({S}) can vary substantially in their numbers of HuR binding sites, a sign of HuR relative specificity.…”

Section: Hur Binding and Target Rna Expressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Functional Consequences of Relative Substrate Specificity in Complex Biochemical Systems

Zeng¹

2011

Front. Gene.

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A biochemical activity, that is, enzymatic reaction or molecular interaction, frequently involves a molecule, for example, an enzyme, capable of interacting with numerous substrates or partners. Specificity is a fundamental property of biochemical activities, and relative specificity refers to the situation whereby a molecule interacts with multiple substrates or partners but with different affinities. Here, a hypothesis is proposed that any molecule, such as an enzyme, would have a range of preferences or relative specificity for its many native substrates, which differentially impacts the phenotypes of these substrates and hence shapes the relevant biological processes in vivo. While the mechanisms underlying the specific recognition between enzymes and individual substrates have been studied extensively, whether any enzyme exhibits intrinsic selectivity toward its ensemble of substrates is often overlooked, and whether this selectivity has any functional consequences is much less appreciated. There are, however, several lines of evidence in the literature that are consistent with the hypothesis and reviewed here. Furthermore, this hypothesis is supported by our analyses of a number of diverse biochemical systems at a large scale. Thus, the human microRNA processing machinery possesses relative specificity toward its hundreds of substrates, which might contribute to differential microRNA biogenesis; the promoter binding affinity of the transcription factor Ndt80 might regulate Ndt80 target mRNA expression in the budding yeast; Cdk1 kinase specificity might lead to variable substrate phosphorylation in vivo; and the density of HuR deposition to its thousands of RNA targets might partly explain differential RNA expression in human cells. It is proposed, therefore, that relative specificity is a universal property of complex biochemical systems and that the hypothesis could denote a general principle in biology.

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“…In the biotechnology sector, collaborations between firms are common and have become characteristic of the sector 13 . our survey of the entrepreneurial collaborations of Canadian health biotechnology firms shows that around one in four has collaborations with counterpart partners in developing countries 14 . These partners are mostly firms but also include universities, research institutions, hospitals and government agencies.…”

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confidence: 96%

Health biotechnology innovation on a global stage

et al. 2011

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With increasing globalization, infectious diseases are spreading faster than ever before, creating an urgent need for international collaboration. The rise of emerging economies has changed the traditional collaborative landscape and provided opportunities for more diverse models of collaboration involving developing countries, including North-South, South-South and North-South-South partnerships. Here, we discuss how developing countries can partner with other nations to address their shared health problems and to promote innovation. We look specifically at what drives collaborations and at the challenges that exist for them, and we propose actions that can strengthen these partnerships.

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Globetrotting firms: Canada's health biotechnology collaborations with developing countries

Abstract: A survey of Canadian biotech firms reveals that their biotech collaborations with developing countries are not only significant but also increasingly reciprocal in terms of the exchange of financial resources and technological know-how.

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

Biomedical research, a tool to address the health issues that affect African populations

Biomedical research, a tool to address the health issues that affect African populations

The Functional Consequences of Relative Substrate Specificity in Complex Biochemical Systems

Health biotechnology innovation on a global stage

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