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4worldlovers: Welcome to the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU) of the University of the Witwatersrand and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

Investigation by the AGTRU team is focused on countering viral infections that cause serious health problems in South Africa. The long term objectives of AGTRU are to

Develop human capacity in the field through the training of young scientists

Discovery of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway and advances in the engineering of sequence-specific nucleases have provided the means for powerful and specific disabling of genes. These advances led to considerable enthusiasm for use of gene therapy to counter viral infections, such as are caused by persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The focus of the AGTRU has been on optimising use of RNAi activators and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) to inhibit viral proliferation. Development of suitable vectors for delivery of antiviral sequences to infected cells is also an active field of investigation within the unit.

Research activities are generously supported by South African and International funding agencies. South African and international partnerships have been established, and these are an important contributor to the group’s resource base.