Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit
We aim to counter viral infections that cause serious health problems in South Africa.
We do this by:
- Advancing gene therapy to treat viral infections
- Developing human capacity by training emerging scientists
- Translating the unit’s technologies into products
- Raising awareness of the importance of health research through effective science communication.
AGTRU is a modern molecular biology research laboratory with expertise in nucleic acid manipulation, gene transfer to mammalian cells, and the use of lipoplex and recombinant viral vectors. The lab is equipped to assess the effectiveness of antiviral compounds using in vivo models, such as HBV transgenic mice, and cell culture systems for viral replication studies.
Our technology:
The discovery of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway and advances in the engineering of sequence-specific nucleases have provided the means for potent and specific gene silencing.
These advances led to considerable enthusiasm for using gene therapy to counter viral infections, such as those caused by the persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).
The AGTRU's focus has been on optimising the use of RNAi activators and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) to inhibit viral proliferation.
The development of suitable vectors for delivering antiviral sequences to infected cells is also an active field of investigation within the unit.