Papers by Masego J Mokobela
Drug Discovery in Africa, 2012
The combination of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) with techniques of modern drug discovery pl... more The combination of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) with techniques of modern drug discovery platforms has a great potential to overcome the current innovation deficits in drug discovery. We describe the adaptation of a set of field-suitable bioassays, the “Screens-to-Nature” (STN) system, to a participatory research tool suitable for overcoming some of the difficulties in establishing cooperation between indigenous knowledge holders and scientists. Extracts from 621 plant samples representing 214 species from 71 plant families in Botswana have been qualitatively screened for antibacterial, antifungal, and antiprotozoal activities, as well as for α-glucosidase and protease inhibitory properties. The results provide a first bioactivity profile of medicinal plants in Botswana. Close to half of the samples (47%) were provided by traditional healers and community members from two regions in Botswana, the Kweneng and Ngamiland Districts. Screening results were consistently shared and discussed with indigenous knowledge holders who participated in the STN project. A survey conducted among 28 traditional healers revealed that a large majority (93%) perceived the STN approach as beneficial to indigenous knowledge holders and expressed their desire to continue contributing to natural product research. In that way, the STN approach provided a basis for the establishment of an indigenous knowledge-guided drug discovery platform in Botswana.
Nature, 2019
Test more men for BRCA genes Our experience bears out the importance of renaming hereditary breas... more Test more men for BRCA genes Our experience bears out the importance of renaming hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) as King syndrome (C. C. Pritchard Nature 571, 27-29; 2019). National and international guidelines urgently need to extend their criteria for BRCA testing to include males with a family history of prostate or pancreatic cancers. Examples include those issued by the European Society for Medical Elephant hunting calls for local experts The government's decision in Botswana to lift its ban on wildlife hunting could reintroduce the contentious trophy hunting of elephants. This controversy has highlighted the need for the voices of local experts. Foreign conservationists and animal-welfare groups condemn Botswana's policy shift, advocating the use of non-lethal methods to control elephants (see A. D. Wallach et al. Conserv. Biol. 32, 1255-1265; 2018). However, local communities welcome it as a means to protect human life, subsistence-farmed crops and livestock (
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Papers by Masego J Mokobela