Cell lines that are African-owned, African-housed and African-controlled
Researchers at the CSIR and the University of Nairobi are collecting skin cells from anonymous African donors so that global scientists can test medications that work better for patients of African descent. As part of the CSIR-hosted African Cell Initiative™, the skin cells will first be converted into stem cells and then into nearly any type of cell required for early testing of therapies to treat a range of diseases.
CSIR researchers collected a skin sample (left) from anonymous African donors that will enable global scientists to create medications that work better for patients of African descent. The skin biopsy process itself (right) is quick and relatively painless for volunteers, taking less than five minutes. A professional dermatologist takes a small skin sample from the upper arms during a quick and private procedure, following ethical guidelines. The cells are destined to become induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be converted into various cell lines intended for biological research.
“We are one of only two organisations in Africa with the expertise and facilities to generate cell lines from local black African donors – from the skin biopsy to stem cell generation, through to the final characterisation of a particular cell line that is ready for researchers and pharmaceutical companies,” says Dr Janine Scholefield.
Scholefield leads the CSIR’s Bioengineering and Integrated Genomics Group, which in 2024 announced plans to revolutionise treatment outcomes in Africa through the African Cell Initiative.
This initiative aims to create tools that take African genetics into account, providing evidence-based scientific guidance on drug discovery and development for African populations. It addresses the critical need for representation in clinical trial data, leveraging innovative cellular models to supplement existing gaps.
“New drug candidates that will work for Africans suffering from diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease must first be tested on cells growing in a petri dish,” explains Scholefield. “The problem is that, of the thousands of cell lines listed on the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry, only two originated from African individuals on African soil.”
As a result, many medications designed to treat common non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and epilepsy, as well as infectious diseases like HIV and tuberculosis, are not ideally suited or effective for patients of African heritage.
“In five or 10 years, we hope to see fewer patients returning to the hospital because of treatment failure,” says CSIR research technician Sizwe Tshabalala, who is part of the team responsible for reprogramming the skin cells, specifically dermal fibroblasts, into stem cells.
“An example here would be tamoxifen, which is a breast cancer medication. It is the first-line breast cancer medication used for most populations. However, we have seen that there is a genotype-drug response relationship with African women.” He explains that cancer treatments should ideally first be tested against cell lines that represent African populations.
"African populations harbour more genetic diversity than the rest of the world combined," says Scholefield. "Since our DNA sequence significantly influences disease manifestation and drug response, it is imperative to develop tools that reflect this diversity in drug development pipelines."
She says the CSIR recently secured a joint grant from United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) to expand African cell lines for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
“The SAMRC launched an open call as part of a collaboration with the UKRI MRC under the umbrella of the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund,” says the SAMRC’s Motsakwe Rakgoale.
“This joint research programme aims to promote collaboration between researchers based in South Africa, the UK and other African countries. Dr Scholefield from the CSIR, and her UK collaborator, Professor Angus Lamond from the University of Dundee, were awarded funding for their project, which will focus on a novel tool for investigating drug response for a broad range of NCDs.”
“The grant shows that the international community has confidence in the CSIR and that our team is credible and capable,” says Scholefield, adding that the funding will also enable capacity-building exchanges for young scientists between South Africa, Kenya and the UK.
“We will not just be generating cellular tools from South African individuals; this new funding has allowed us to partner with colleagues in Kenya to start building a truly pan-African cell initiative,” she says.
Dr Marianne Mureithi, the director of the KAVI-Institute of Clinical Research at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, says the international medical research community needs to be aware that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to vaccines, medications or other molecules. “We cannot do good science in isolation; we need global partners so that we can compare and contrast data,” she says.
Her team has established East African donor networks and brings clinical trial experience to the African Cell Initiative. “This is a very important partnership that is opening up data for the first time in Kenya and possibly in Africa,” she says.
CSIR research technician Sibongile Tshabalala spent time with Mureithi’s team in Nairobi earlier this year, to ensure that the Kenyan and South African teams are following the same laboratory protocol for collecting and preparing donor skin cell samples.
“A key part of this collaboration is to also do some technology transfer and knowledge exchange,” she says. "Our goal is to make sure that the protocol that we set up in this laboratory is easily translated into other resource-limited facilities across Africa.”
Scholefield says she has been blown away by the enthusiasm of volunteers who have come forward to confidentially donate skin biopsy samples for this effort. “People want to support the prioritisation and incorporation of black African genetic diversity into global drug development; our volunteers seem really enthusiastic about increasing the diverse genetic representation inherent in African populations that is currently missing in international research and development.”
The skin biopsy process itself is quick and relatively painless for volunteers – a small sacrifice that has the potential to help millions of patients of African descent worldwide.
“A professional dermatologist takes a small skin sample from the upper arm during a quick and private procedure, following ethical guidelines,” explains Scholefield. “All information about the process is shared with consenting participants, who can retract their consent at any time before the procedure and any personal details remain completely private and confidential in line with international ethical standards – we are legally and ethically obligated to maintain our volunteers’ privacy.”
One anonymous volunteer from South Africa said he donated a skin biopsy out of a sense of responsibility to contribute to the well-being of society. “We are all interconnected as the human race ... it is amazing that my little piece of skin can be further divided into smaller, very minute pieces that will give birth to greater knowledge, understanding and advancement in science.”
Another volunteer said she donated because African populations are underrepresented when it comes to treatments that work against certain illnesses. “I think it is quite important, and I do think that this little cell that I have donated, will definitely go a long way in advancing medical research.”
Once a biopsy is collected, Scholefield’s team works against the clock to prepare and preserve the dermal fibroblasts so that they can be converted into what is known as induced pluripotent stem cells. The team has already generated stem cells from 10 local donors and will soon do the same with the Kenyan samples in partnership with the University of Nairobi.
As part of the process, they inspect the cells under a microscope to ensure that they are healthy and intact. “Magnified like that, we can so clearly see the beautiful brown melanin pigment in the skin cells of our donors,” says Scholefield.
Left: Dr Janine Scholefield (left) and technician Sibongile Tshabalala inspect skin cells from a donor under the microscope. Right: Magnified under a microscope, clear pockets of melanin are visible in the skin cells of African donors. These donated fibroblasts will ultimately enable global scientists to create medications that work better for patients of African descent. The skin cells will first be converted into stem cells, and then into nearly any type of cell required for early testing of therapies to treat a range of diseases.
Once the stem cells are ready, Scholefield and her team convert the stem cells into various other cell types that researchers need for biological studies.
The CSIR can, for example, generate beating heart cells that can be used to screen heart medications for cardiotoxicity; they can generate brain cells that will help neurologists investigate Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease; and they can generate liver cells that can be used to test drug responses.
"These cellular tools can be incorporated at multiple points across the drug development pipeline, from discovery to supporting clinical development,” says Scholefield. “Right now, the lack of access to African advanced cellular models is to the detriment of patients of African descent, but our work is changing that.”
She says their work is ultimately about providing a financially sustainable cellular resource to develop optimal treatments for the African diaspora.
This project is funded by the South African Medical Research Council, in partnership with the UK Research and Innovation Medical Research Council, carried out through a multi-institutional collaboration spanning Africa and the United Kingdom.
Read more about the CSIR's footprint in Africa in our Allies in Africa story selection, in celebration of Africa Day 2026
Published 29 May 2026