Wits Inaugural Lectures

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The Potential of Gene Therapy
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2011-06) Arbuthnot, Patrick
Science of course has a lot to offer the public and effectively communicating the usefulness of science is very important. Scientists researching topics in the health-related fields have valuable practical benefits as a result of creation of interventions, methods, or strategies to treat disease. Moreover, the scientific method has a social function that is useful to nurture an ethic that encourages critical and creative thinking. This presentation is therefore primarily aimed at conveying insights about gene therapy to people who do not have a background in biology or medicine. The topic of gene therapy is rather technical in nature and I am therefore obliged to simplify some of the complex concepts. Also, parts of the talk will necessarily be of a didactic nature, which is important to provide the framework for discussing general issues of the significance of gene therapy in South Africa. The content of this presentation will be divided into 5 main parts, which are: Why genes are important in normal and disease biology; What is gene therapy?; Using silencing techniques to counter hepatitis B virus infection; The Challenges and Relevance of gene therapy research.