The ICMM is a research space where innovation and dedication are combined and applied to current health crises in South Africa. We are involved in the development of intellectual property ranging from the clinical application of different types of adult stem cells to the analysis of the genetics underlying disease cause, susceptibility, and severity, which can then be translated into a therapeutic product. 

The Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine (ICMM) began with an idea in around 2005, to tap into the burden of disease of South Africa for the ultimate benefit of South African patients. The diversity and richness of South Africa’s people have been largely overlooked on the platform of global health care, which the ICMM believes is an incredibly valuable resource when it comes to the development of holistic patient diagnosis and treatment. We therefore strive to bring South African genetic heterogeneity to the global stage as it relates to:

• Genetic testing for diseases often misdiagnosed in African populations
• Identifying genetic elements relating to disease susceptibility or severity

In addition to genetic heterogeneity, South Africa also has a highly admixed population, which allows a broader range of patient samples when testing new therapies in the laboratory. This puts the ICMM in a strategic position for generating impactful research which can compete internationally with research performed with samples from much more homogenous populations.