Gene specialist speaks on campus

Stressing the unique possibilities of human gene therapy as a medical treatment, James Wilson, director of the Institute for Gene Therapy, spoke to a crowd of 80 in Houston Hall Wednesday night. Sponsored by the Penn Biomedical Research Society, Wilson's speech was designed to educate the University community about the revolutionary medical field of gene therapy. Using crisp anecdotes and vivid metaphors, Wilson translated a complicated subject into layman's terms for his mostly undergraduate audience. Wilson's speech focused on two distinct areas: the feasibility of gene therapy as a legitimate medical treatment and opportunities for students as gene therapy researchers. Discussing the medical possibilities of gene therapy, Wilson said, "Gene therapy is no different than pharmacology. You have a drug and need to deliver it effectively. This drug is DNA." As part of his effort to make this high-tech world real, Wilson spoke of his attempts to treat familial hypercholesterolimia with gene therapy. Familial hypercholesterolimia is a disease in which patients endure cholesterol levels of up to 1000. Most patients die around the age of 10 from the disease, according to Wilson. Wilson described how he helped to lower a 29-year-old patient's cholesterol level by 30 percent. Following Wilson's discussion of the current status and applicability of gene therapy, he went on to discuss its future. "I think the basic science that underlies gene therapy is where to spend our time," Wilson said. "It is an exciting new frontier that will open many areas of basic science." Wilson's speech was followed by a 20 minute question and answer session. Student reaction to the speech was upbeat. "I thought that he was personable," said College senior Ravi Cherukuri, president of the Penn Biomedical Research Society. "He is one of the hottest young scientists at Penn." Caleb Alexander, vice president of the society, said, "I was really impressed with his ability to deal with people of different scientific backgrounds."