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UCT RESEARCH REPORT 2012
Genomic and Proteomic Research
Unlocking The
Secrets Of Disease
Genomic and proteomic researchers at UCT’s Faculty of Health
Sciences are pushing the boundaries of science and unlocking
new knowledge, with the potential to develop new cures
and more effective treatments for diseases common in the
developing world, such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and cancer.
The potential for commercial application of this knowledge is
also extensive.
F
unctional genomics research has the potential to yield the sort of information,
discoveries, and inventions that translate into future biomedical advances
and commercial activity. For instance, a functional genomics programme that
studies patterns of protein and lipid expression in peripheral fluids taken
from a group of tuberculosis (TB) patients could lead researchers to discover
molecular markers that diagnose TB. These would then form the basis of a new
point-of-care diagnostic test for TB that works in low-resource settings. This
would be a major healthcare innovation in the developing world, and generate
commercial activity worldwide.
This field of speciality requires state-of-the-art, high-throughput analytical
technologies. Fortunately, these are now available locally and Department of
Science and Technology investments in the Centre for Proteomic and Genomic
Research, along with capital equipment acquired by UCT and partner universities,
is transforming the Western Cape into an oasis of genomic and proteomic research.
Research programmes in this area are heavily dependent on the availability of
sophisticated bioinformatics tools and the expertise to analyse and make sense
of the vast quantities of raw experimental data generated – an area of increasing
strength for UCT.
South Africa provides a remarkable wealth of clinical resources, including a population
that represents more than 95% of the world’s human genetic diversity, along with
The future prospects for major breakthroughs at UCT
in both infectious and non-communicable diseases are
bright, even though it is a long and often rocky road that
leads to discovery and validation of the sort of disease-
associated biomarkers that can be translated into
lifesaving health care innovation.