Carlos Slim Center for Health Research at the Broad Institute
In 2010, the Carlos Slim Foundation through the Carlos Slim Health Institute and the Broad Institute came together to launch the Carlos Slim Center for Health Research at the Broad Institute. This unprecedented partnership aims to ensure that Latin Americans benefit from the genomic revolution by:
- Promoting wider access to genomic medicine in Mexico and Latin America by supporting discovery programs that focus on health problems with particular relevance to the region, and leverage its unique population genetics.
- Enhancing genomic research capacity in Mexico through training of scientists and encouraging the development of genomic diagnostics and therapeutics in Latin America.
That same year, with the contribution of $65 million from the Carlos Slim Foundation, the center launched the inaugural phase of the Slim Initiative in Genomic Medicine for the Americas (SIGMA). In this
- In type 2 diabetes, scientists identified a common genetic variant predisposing Latin American populations to the disease. Because this genetic variant is absent in Europeans, it had been previously overlooked.
- In cancer, researchers identified new genetic drivers of breast cancer (with special emphasis on patients in Mexico), head and neck cancer, lymphoma, sarcoma, cervical cancer, and several types of childhood cancers.
- In kidney disease, scientists discovered the gene for medullary cystic kidney disease type 1 (MCKD1) — a rare disorder that ultimately requires dialysis or kidney transplantation.
- In building scientific capacity, Mexican scientists collaborated with their Broad counterparts in a flourishing exchange of ideas, sharing access to advanced technology, and providing educational opportunities for researchers and students both at Broad and Mexico.
In 2013, in order to build on the project’s initial success, the Carlos Slim Center for Health Research launched the second phase of the collaboration, known as SIGMA II, with an additional contribution of $74.1 million over three years from the Carlos Slim Foundation.
SIGMA II will leverage the genetic discoveries from the first phase of the project, with a focus on translating these discoveries into clinical impact. This will include the development of diagnostic tools for breast cancer and diabetes, completing the genetic analysis of these diseases, creating therapeutic “roadmaps” to guide the development of new treatments, and the launching of a full-scale effort to target MCKD1. In addition, SIGMA II will continue to work on building scientific capacity in the US and Mexico.