According to the December 2009 UNAIDS epidemic update 22.4 (67%) of the 33.4 million adults and children estimated to be living with HIV worldwide are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Why? AIDS is a complex disease and many factors may contribute to these dire statistics. Human/host genetic factors may influence susceptibility to HIV infection and progression to AIDS in HIV infected individuals. Inter-individual or inter-population variation in the frequency of ‘protective’ or susceptibility-favouring gene variants may influence viral acquisition, disease progression, transmission, and response to anti-retroviral therapy. Moreover, genetic variants that may influence susceptibility to HIV-1 and limit AIDS are different for different populations and among individuals. A better understanding of the underlying host genetic component of infection and disease progression is critical to interpret and manage HIV/AIDS epidemiology (the scientific study of the spread and control of diseases).
Prof Liza Bornman is a human molecular geneticist who specializes in host genetics in infectious diseases. Her research focuses on genetic and epigenetic variants of the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) and its role in susceptibility to infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis. Her work is conducted in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford.
Prof Liza Bornman is from the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, UJ.