The paper establishes the Saudi Bank of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (SBiPSCs) to address underrepresentation of Middle Eastern populations in iPSC resources and supports immunocompatible cell therapies.

bioRxiv · Jan 24, 2026 · PreprintGenetics

Genomic diversity and antimicrobial resistance ofStaphylococcus aureus in Saudi Arabia: a nationwide studyusing whole-genome sequencing

Mohammed S. Alarawi, Musaad A. Altammami, Mohammed H. Abutarboush, Maxat Kulmanov, Dalal M. Alkuraithy, Şenay Kafkas, Robert Radley, Marwa Abdelhakim, Hind Aldakhil, Reema A. Bawazeer, Mohammed A. Alolayan, Basel Mohammed Alnafjan, Abdulaziz A. Huraysi, Amani Almaabadi, Bandar A. Suliman, , Robert Hoehndorf

This study uses whole-genome sequencing to analyze S. aureus isolates from Saudi Arabia, revealing higher genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance in pilgrimage cities compared to non-pilgrimage cities.

Microbial Genomics · Nov 12, 2025Peer-reviewedGenomics

HLA-Based Banking of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Saudi Arabia

Maryam Alowaysi, Robert Lehmann, Mohammad Al-Shehri, Moayad Baadhaim, Hajar Alzahrani, Doaa A. Aboalola, Asima Zia, Dalal Malibari, Mustafa Daghestani, Khaled Alghamdi, Ali Ahmed Haneef, Dunia M. Jawdat, Fahad Hakami, David Gómez-Cabrero, Jesper N. Tegner, Khaled N. Alsayegh

This study establishes an HLA-based iPSC banking system for the Saudi population, demonstrating that a small number of iPSC lines can cover a significant portion of the population's HLA haplotypes.

Stem Cell Research & Therapy · Dec 18, 2023Peer-reviewedGenetics