In 2019, Doctor Misaki Wayengera stunned World Health Organization (WHO) after winning high innovation challenge in Product Development Category that took place at the WHO Africa Regional Headquarters in Congo (Brazzaville).
Wayengera developed a Pan- Filovirus Rapid Diagnostic Test, a paper-strip test, similar to the one used in pregnancy, to detect Ebola and Marburg viruses which prompted medics across the world to praise the kit as a timely invention for proper diagnosis of haemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola.
The kit had since been been approved by WHO to diagnose Ebola and Marburg viruses.
But this senior lecturer at the department of pathology, immunology and molecular biology at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University isn’t about to stop his innovations to save fellow countrymen and women.
Wayengera has struck again when the country needs him most by teaming with other health experts at Makerere University to develop a rapid testing kit for Coronavirus, a global pandemic that continues to ravage nations.
“I thank Dr. Misaki Wayengera and his team at the Makerere University Department of Pathology for the initiative to develop a rapid testing kit for Coronavirus. This is commendable given the devastation caused by COVID19. Makerere is proud to serve humanity,” Makerere University Vice Chancellor announced the news on Twitter recently.
Wayengera’s innovation is timely as Uganda government is on high alert over fake COVID-19 testing kits from China which hit the world market in the recent past.
In Europe, Spain was prompted to recall 58000 kits which had been procured from a Chinese firm because their accuracy was poor at 30%.
Wayengera’s focus was to invent a low cost cost kit that expedites the testing process.
According to the Ministry of Health, every single test costs $65 which makes the whole process expensive.
But who is this Scientist Wayengera?
“I am a medical doctor with graduate training (MSc, Fellowship, PhD) in a diverse array of basic science fields (Immunology, Vaccinology, Clinical Microbiology, Genetics and Filovirology). I also hold expert skills-training in Bioentrepeneurship and R & D,” Misaki Wayengera’s biography reads in parts.
Over the past 10 years, he has served as In-Charge of the Unit of Genetics & Genomics (a super-specialized referral centre for children and adults born with rare, Mendelian disease at the Mulago National Reference and Teaching Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda).
“I am member of the African Society for Human Genetics (AfSHG) and Ex-Chair of the Education and Coordinated Working Group (ECTWG) of the H3Africa Consortium. My research interests’ center on pathogen OMICS:-with a focus on identifying new molecular targets for research and development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.”
“My group has identified, patented and validated reagents (B cell-eptopes, synthetic peptides, recombinant EBOV glycoprotein, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, and aptamers) for the R & D of 3 prototypes of a pan-filovirus rapid diagnostic tests-RDTs (Ag, IgM and IgG). Over the past 10 years, we have not only built the necessary expertise and experience, but have also established an ecosystem of partners from across the academia, industry and public private partnerships.”
For this work and its impact on the 2013-to 2016 EVD outbreak in West Africa, Dr Wayengera was listed as 57 of the 100 most influential Africans of 2015.
In 2019, he won 1st Prize for the WHO innovation Challenge (Product Development), and he was nominated as REACH /RLM finalist. He is current (2019-2020) TWAS-SAREP Young Scientist award winner (Infectious Diseases).
Contribution to Science
- In 2000 while a medical student, I picked interest in studying filoviruses. In 2007 while studying genomes of filoviruses, I focused my energy on understanding the proteomics of the glycoproteins (GP) of EBOV and MARV., with the understanding that the same are targets for both vaccine and diagnostic development. Since 2010, we have (a) identified and patented 5 conserved B cell epitopes of filovirus glycoprotein-GP (2 for Marburgvirus and Ebolavirus, and 3 for only Ebolavirus species);(b) proved the capture (by ELISA) of (i) host-specific IgG antibodies among gamma irradiated covalescent survivor samples, and or (ii) recombinant zaire ebolavirus-EBOV GP cloned and expressed in mammalian cells), as well as (c) assembled and validated (despite earlier failures of Balb mice derived mAbs) 2 sandwich ELASA using aptamers, that capture the native antigen on vero-expressed virions (both inactivated and live. Working with the GMP certified, WHO accredited Ugandan company Astel Diagnostics (U) LTD, we designed and produced 3 prototype lateral flow tests-LFTs (Ag, IgM, and IgG). Over this period, we received funding from Grand Challenges Canada (raising stars in Global Health award # GCC_0280-01; Phase II transition to scale award #TTS-0709-05) and the European Developing Countries Clinical Trails Partnerships-EDCTP (Early Career Fellowship award # TMA2016CDF-1545, and Research in Action award # RIA2018EF-2081 — AdjustEBOVGP-Dx) to the tune of US$2,000,000.
- In 1999, I first proposed that the innate nucleic acids defense inherent in bacteria restriction modification (R-M) systems could be explored as a model for curing human infesting viruses, including HIV-1 [Makerere Med. Journal [Wayengera M: HIV and Gene Therapy: The proposed “R-M enzymatic” model for a gene therapy against HIV. Makerere Med J. 2003, 38:28-30]. Between 2006 and 2007, we identified bacteria derived restriction enzymes (REases) that cleave SIVcpz/SIVsmm/HIV genes and genomes. In 2008, we advanced this work to HSV-2—identifying REases that cleave the HSV-2 genomes. Realizing the potential for genome toxicity posed by the short palindromes recognized by natural bacteria REases, we advanced our work, to assembling zinc finger arrays for generation of artificial nucleases (denoted zinc finger nucleases, ZFN) that cleave proviral HIV DNA, HSV-2, and high-risk HPV genomes. This work has inspired the application of ZFN and other natural and artificial nucleases (HEs, TALENs, Meganucleases, CRISPER/Cas) for virus cure at the genome level. This work is funded by a GlaskoSmithKline (GSK) Trust In Science Africa grant to validate and compare target mutagenesis of proviral HIV DNA (pol-gene) by ZFN and CRISPER/Cas.
- In 2007, we proposed growth and proliferation biomarkers for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), as a strategy to (i) reduce time-lines for detection of positive TB cultures, and (ii) circumvent the prevailing challenge of TB sero-diagnosis. In 2018, I completed my PhD with a Thesis tiled: Exploration of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Thyimidylate kinase B cell epitopes as sero-diagnostic and culture biomarkers for rapid and easy detection of Tuberculosis [NIH/Forgarty/ D43-TW009607-01].
- In 2010, we concretized the general theory of the origins of retroviruses using a model of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) cross-species transmission between rhesus macaca and homo-sapiens. This theory generally unveils the inter-play between molecular forces that drive cross-species jumps, introduces the concept of retrovirological fields, and describes “wayengera’s diagrams’ of retrovirology.
Positions and Honors
2002- 04 Editor in Chief. Makerere Medical Journal (MMJ)
2003- 04 Research assistant, UMDNJ/Makerere Re-treatment TB Project
2004- 05 Editor in Chief. Makerere Medical Journal (MMJ Special Issue on Carnegie Students, 2004)
2004- 05 Resident Intern doctor, Medicine & Surgery, Mulago National Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
2005- 06 Study Coordinator. MU-UMDNJ Research Collaboration “Wellcome Trust/UMDNJ Foundation”
2007-14 Asst. Lecturer, Genetics/Genomics, Dept of Pathology Makerere Univ., UG 09 Lecturer, Human and Molecular genetics-Kampala International Univ., UG
2008- 2020 Director, Restrizymes Biotherapeutics (U) LTD, Kampala, Uganda
2013-2016 Ex-Chair, Education and Coordinated Training Working Group (ECTWG)- H3Africa Consortium
2014- 2020 Lecturer and In-Charge, Unit, Genetics & Genomics, Dept of Pathology, Makerere Univ., UG
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
2005-present Member, Association of Pathologists of East, Central and Southern Africa-APECSA
2006-present Member, International AIDS Society (IAS)
2007-present Member, Alliance for Microbicide Development
2010-present Member, African Society for Human Genetics (AfSHG)
2011-present Member, YECI-Steering Committee, Global HIV vaccine Enterprise
2012-present Member, IAS “Towards an HIV cure” group
2013-present Member, H3Africa Consortium (funded by NIH, Wellcome Trust)
2014-present Member of the 50 Scientists’ Advisory Committee for the African Network for New Diagnostic Innovation (ANDI) Pre-Symposium to the African Union Heads of State meeting on Ebola and other disease Technologies.
Education
1993-1996 O’Level District Bursary, Mbale Municipal Council-Government of Uganda
1997-1998 A’ Level government Bursary, Ministry of Education-Government of Uganda
1999-2003 University Bursary, Ministry of Education Government of Uganda
2007 Virology Education 1st INTEREST Workshop Travel Grant.
2007 Global HIV vaccine Enterprise Travel Grant-AIDS Vaccine 07
2008 Microbicide2008 Travel Grant
2008 Keystone Symposia (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
2009 Europe-Africa Conference (European Science Foundation) Travel Grant
2010 Hands-on ASI 2010 (International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste)
2011/12/13 Masters Fellow, Grant Number 5R24TW008886 OGAC, NIH and HRSA.
2012- International Academy of Pathologists (IAP) Friends of Africa Bursary
2012- European, Middle East & African Society for Bio-Preservation/BioBanking Travel Fellowship
2015 57 of 100 most influential Africans (Science & Technology Track), New African Magazine
2019 30 finalists of the WHO Innovation Challenge, World Health Organization