INTRODUCTION Africa, home to 1.4 billion people and the highest genetic diversity globally, harbors unique genetic variants crucial for understanding complex diseases like neurodegenerative disorders. However, African populations remain underrepresented in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) collections, limiting the exploration of population-specific disease mechanisms and therapeutic discoveries.

METHODS To address this gap, we established an open-access African Somatic and Stem Cell Bank.

RESULTS In this initial phase, we generated 10 rigorously characterized iPSC lines from fibroblasts representing five Nigerian ethnic groups and both sexes. These lines underwent extensive profiling for pluripotency, genetic stability, differentiation potential, and Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease risk variants. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to introduce frontotemporal dementia-associated MAPT mutations (P301L and R406W).

DISCUSSION This collection offers a renewable, genetically diverse resource to investigate disease pathogenicity in African populations, facilitating breakthroughs in neurodegenerative research, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

We would like to thank the research subjects and their families who generously participated in this study. We thank Torri Ball for careful review and thoughtful discussion of the study. We thank the Genome Engineering & Stem Cell Center (GESC@MGI) at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine for iPSC reprogramming and editing services. This work was supported by access to equipment made possible by the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, the Neurogenomics and Informatics Center, and the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine. Diagrams were generated using BioRender.com. Funding provided by the National Institutes of Health (P30 AG066444, RF1 NS110890, U19 AG069701, K01 AG083215) and UL1TR002345. MBM is funded by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, and Wellcome Trust. SW is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

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The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Ethical approval for this work was obtained from the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital Ethics Committee (Approval Reference: YSUTH/MAC/EA/077/VOL.III.297). Healthy adult donors were recruited based on eligibility criteria that required the absence of underlying chronic illnesses and neurological disorders, as well as negative screening results for common transmissible pathogens, including HIV and Hepatitis, to ensure the suitability of the samples for downstream iPSC applications. Before participation, all donors received detailed information about the study, including its purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits, both verbally and in writing. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to sample collection. Consent included permission to derive, bank, and distribute iPSC lines for use in future research studies globally. Participants were assured that their data and samples would remain confidential and that their participation was voluntary.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

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I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

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All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors

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