Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Science and Society
  • Published:

Genomics, public health and developing countries: the case of the Mexican National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN)

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 9, pages S5–S9 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

In 2004, the government of Mexico established the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN), to carry out disease-related genomic studies that will address national health problems and stimulate scientific and technological development by generating new commercial products and services in genomic medicine. Towards this end, INMEGEN is carrying out a large-scale genotyping project to map genomic variation within its own population. The initiative is expected to generate a key resource for local researchers to understand disease susceptibility and variation in drug responses, which will contribute to Mexico's goal of developing public health genomics — a field in which Mexico is proving to be a leader amongst emerging economies.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Boutayeb, A. The double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in developing countries. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 100, 191–199 (2006).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Foro Consultivo Científico y Tecnológico. Propuesta de una ley de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación. [online], <http://www.foroconsultivo.org.mx/documentos/ley_ctei/segundo_borrador_agosto_ 2007.pdf> (2007) (in Spanish).

  3. Séguin, B. & Hardy, B, Singer, P. A. & Daar, A. S. Human genomic variation initiatives in emerging economies and developing countries. Nature Rev. Genet. 9 (Suppl), S3–S4 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Séguin, B. & Hardy, B, Singer, P. A. & Daar, A. S. Genomic medicine and developing countries: creating a room of their own. Nature Rev. Genet. 9, 487–493 (2008).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jimenéz-Sánchez, G. Programa de Trabajo Para Dirigir el Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genomica 2004–2009. INMEGEN [online], <http://www.inmegen.gob.mx/images/stories/publicaciones/pdf/prog_trab0409.pdf> (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Jimenéz-Sánchez, G. Developing a platform for genomic medicine in Mexico. Science 300, 295–296 (2003).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Jimenéz-Sánchez, G. & Lara, C. in Panorama Internacional en Salud y Derecho. Culturas y Sistemas Juridicos Comparados (ed. Brena-Sesma, I.) 391 (National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico, 2007) (in Spanish).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Daar, A. S. & Singer, P. A. Pharmacogenetics and geographical ancestry: implications for drug development and global health. Nature Rev. Genet. 6, 241–246 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Abecasis, G. et al. Human Genome Variation 2006: emerging views on structural variation and large-scale SNP analysis. Nature Genet. 39, 153–155 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Redon, R. et al. Global variation in copy number in the human genome. Nature 444, 444–454 (2006).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Becerril, A. Aprueba el Senado sanciones a quienes trasladen tejido humano fuera de México. La Journada [online], <http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/03/28/index.php?section=sociedad&article= 046n1soc> (2008) (in Spanish).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Genomics and Benefits Share. Parliamentary Gazette IX, No 1953 (2006).

  13. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. How Does Mexico Compare? OECD Health Data 2008 [online], <http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/46/9/38980018.pdf> (2008).

  14. Instituto Nacional de Estidística y Geografía. Información estadística. [online], <http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/contenidos/espanol/rutinas/ept.asp?t=mpob45&c=32> (2008) (in Spanish).

  15. Lara-Alverez, C. et al. Ethical, legal and social aspects of the Mexican Genomic Variability Project. INMEGEN [online], <http://www.inmegen.gob.mx/images/stories/publicaciones/memorias/hugo2007/ lara.pdf> (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Dalton, R. When two tribes go to war. Nature 430, 500–502 (2004).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Dalton, R. Tribe blasts 'exploitation' of blood samples. Nature 420, 111 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hakimian, R. & Korn, D. Ownership and use of tissue specimens for research. JAMA 292, 2500–2505 (2004).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Schmidt, C. W. Indi-gene-ous conflict. Environ. Health Perspect. 109, A216–A219 (2001).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Frew, S. E., Sammut, S. M., Siu, W. W., Daar, A. S. & Singer, P. A. The role of the domestic private sector in developing countries for addressing local health needs. Int. J. Biotech. 8, 91–102 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Solleiro, J. L. & Briseno, A. Propiedad intelectual II: el caso de la biotecnologia en Mexico. Interciencia 28, No 2, 90–94 (2003) (in Spanish).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Hidalgo-Miranda, A. et al. Proyecto mapa genomico de los Mexicanos. Ciencia y Desarrollo 32, 191 (2006) (in Spanish).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Séguin, B., State, L., Singer, P. A. & Daar, A. S. Scientific diasporas as an option for brain drain: re-circulating knowledge for development. Int. J. Biotech. 8, 78 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Séguin, B., Singer, P. A. & Daar, A. S. Science community: scientific diasporas. Science 312, 1602–1603 (2006).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Barba, A. México reduce en 6.7% su presupuesto a ciencia. SciDev Net [online], <http://www.scidev.net/es/latin-america-and-caribbean/news/mxico-reduce-en-67-su -presupuesto-a-ciencia.html> (2007) (in Spanish).

    Google Scholar 

  26. United Nations Development Program. Human Development Report: Making New Technologies Work for Human Development (Oxford University Press, New York, 2001).

  27. Juma, C. & Yee-Cheong, L. Reinventing global health: the role of science, technology, and innovation. Lancet 365, 1105–1107 (2005).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Acharya, T., Daar, A. S. & Singer, P. A. Biotechnology and the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Nature Biotechnol. 21, 1434–1436 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. United Nations Development Programme. The Human Development Index — Going Beyond Income. [online], <http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_MEX.html> (2008).

  30. Young, E. & Carrington, D. Cloning pregnancy claim prompts outrage. New Scientist News Service [online], <http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn2133> (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Baker, M. Report casts doubt on Korean experiment. Science 283, 617–619 (1999).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Bosch, X. Mexico to Open Genome Center. Genome Biology Research News [online], <http://genomebiology.com/researchnews/default.asp?arx_id=gb-spotlight-20040805 –02> (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Burke, W., Khoury, M. J., Stewart, A., Zimmern, R. L. & Bellagio Group. The path from genome-based research to population health: development of an international public health genomics network. Genet. Med. 8, 451–458 (2006).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge F. Salamanca-Buentello and M. Maliakkal for their comments throughout this work. This project was funded by Genome Canada through the Ontario Genomics Institute. The McLaughlin–Rotman Centre for Global Health, Program on Life Sciences, Ethics and Policy is primarily supported by Genome Canada through the Ontario Genomics Institute, the Ontario Research Fund, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Other matching partners are listed at the McLaughlin–Rotman Centre for Global Health web site. A.S.D. and P.A.S. are supported by the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine. P.A.S. is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Distinguished Investigator award.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Billie-Jo Hardy, Béatrice Séguin, Peter A. Singer and Abdallah S. Daar are at the McLaughlin–Rotman Centre for Global Health, Program on Life Sciences, Ethics and Policy, University Health Network and University of Toronto, MaRS Centre, South Tower, Suite 406, 101 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,

    Billie-Jo Hardy

  2. Béatrice Séguin is also at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada.,

    Béatrice Séguin

  3. Peter A. Singer and Abdallah S. Daar are also at the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine, MaRS Centre, Toronto Medical Discovery Tower, Suite 701, 101 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,

    Peter A. Singer & Abdallah S. Daar

Authors
  1. Béatrice Séguin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Billie-Jo Hardy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter A. Singer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Abdallah S. Daar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdallah S. Daar.

Related links

Related links

FURTHER INFORMATION

McLaughlin–Rotman Centre for Global Health

INMEGEN comic book web page

INMEGEN's Business Incubator

National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Séguin, B., Hardy, BJ., Singer, P. et al. Genomics, public health and developing countries: the case of the Mexican National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN). Nat Rev Genet 9 (Suppl 1), S5–S9 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg2442

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg2442

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing