The biomedical technologist serving at the Medical Center with surgical branch (CMA) of Saponé, Astrid Yasmine Sana defended her unique doctoral thesis (PhD) in Molecular Biology-Microbiology-Genetics, on Saturday January 11, 2025 at Joseph Ki-University. Zerbo from Ouagadougou.
“Polymorphisms of genes encoding interferon-γ and their implications in susceptibility to mycobacterial infections”. It is under this theme that Astrid Yasmine Sana presented the results of her work to a jury made up of six members from the Science and Technology doctoral school of the Joseph Ki-Zerbo University of Ouagadougou.
“We will try to extend the study, look for other genes that can predispose to tuberculosis,” promised Dr Yasmine Astrid Sana
This study focused on the susceptibility of mycobacterial infection of tuberculosis cases through genotypes. His research focused on a sample of 168 tuberculosis patients, surveyed between May 2024 and January 2025. 74.5% of patients present risk genes, namely the AA genotype.
According to Astrid Yasmine Sana, this study aimed to identify people susceptible to contracting tuberculosis from a genetic point of view. “We wanted to know which patients are likely to have tuberculosis genetically. We have been working on interferon gamma polymorphisms that predispose to tuberculosis in some humans,” she said.
And to add: “This polymorphism undergoes mutations and, with these mutations, the body is unable to correctly produce interferon gamma which is a key player in the body’s fight against tuberculosis”, a- she pointed out.
Dr Tani Sagna is satisfied with the results obtained at the end of the study
Current results
According to the thesis director, Dr. Tani Sagna, the collaboration with Yasmine Astrid Sana began in 2021, when the draft of this thesis was submitted to the World Health Academy.
After this thesis, Dr. Tani Sagna revealed the prospects in their research field. “It’s an exploratory study that we conducted, so it’s about continuing the research with her and with other students,” she said.
During the defense, the jury congratulated Yasmine Astrid Sana and her supervisory team for the choice of the theme on tuberculosis, which remains a public health problem in Burkina Faso.
“The results presented today by the candidate are truly relevant. There are many people each year who contract tuberculosis and it is our duty, as researchers, to try to better understand the genetic implications of this pathology within the Burkinabe population. It is with this in mind that this thesis was carried out and it presented relevant results,” confided the president of the jury, Professor Florencia Djigma.
According to Professor Florencia Djigma, the quality of the results presented testify to the originality of the subject
Yasmine Astrid Sana’s thesis was accepted by the jury, which deemed her worthy of the rank of doctor. The applicant obtained the very honorable mention.
It should be noted that Yasmine Astrid Sana is a biomedical technologist working at the Saponé Medical Center with Surgical Antenna (CMA).
Cryspin Laoundiki
Lefaso.net
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