Dr Andrew Bell PhD

 

Research Fellow

Contact details

Telephone +44 (0)121 414 4495

Fax +44 (0)121 414 4486

Email a.i.bell@bham.ac.uk

Department of Cancer Studies
School of Cancer Sciences

About

Dr Andrew Bell is a Research Fellow in the Department of Cancer Studies. His research focuses on the biology of Epstein-Barr virus, a widespread herpes virus associated with a number of human malignancies. He works closely with Prof. Martin Rowe and Prof. Alan Rickinson, and his work is funded by several grants from Cancer Research UK.

Qualifications

  • PhD 1990
  • BSc (Hons) Biochemistry 1987

Teaching

  • MBChB Cancer:Causes to Cures 
  • BMedSci Clinical Sciences (Intercalated) 
  • Clinical Oncology MSc/PGDip 
  • MRes Biomedical Research

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Bell supervises a number of PhD students studying the biology of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and the pathogenesis of EBV-associated lymphomas

Research

Research Theme

Viral oncology

Research Activity

Epstein-Barr Virus

Dr Bell is a member of a research team interested in the biology of EBV and its role in lymphomagenesis.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a member of the herpesvirus family and is widespread in all human populations. Following primary infection, the virus establishes lifelong persistence within a type of blood cell called a B lymphocyte. In the vast majority of cases, EBV infection is generally harmless. However in rare circumstances virus infection is linked to the development of several human cancers of B cell origin; these include post transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD), Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). A clue to EBV’s role in lymphomagenesis comes from the observation that EBV can transform normal B lymphocytes in vitro into continuously growing lymphoblastoid cells (LCL).

Dr Bell’s work addresses the following areas:

  • EBV persistence in normal healthy individuals 
  • The effects of EBV infection on cellular phenotype 
  • Virus gene expression in different cell types 
  • The role of EBV in lymphomagenesis

Dr Bell has strong links with other EBV research groups in the School of Cancer Sciences, and with other virology groups within the school. He also has a number of national and international collaborations.

Publications

Amoroso, R., Fitzsimmons, L., Thomas, W.A., Kelly, G.L., Rowe, M. and Bell, A.I. (2011). Quantitative studies of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded microRNAs provide novel insights into their regulation. J. Virol. 85, 996-1010.

Fox, C.P., Haigh, T.A., Taylor, G.S., Long, H.M., Lee, S.P., Shannon-Lowe, C., O’Connor, S., Bollard, C., Iqbal, J., Chan, W.C., Rickinson, A.B., Bell, A.I. and Rowe, M. (2010). A novel latent membrane protein 2 transcript expressed in Epstein-Barr virus positive NK- and T-cell lymphoproliferative disease encodes a target for cellular immunotherapy. Blood, 116: 3605-3704.

Rowe, M., Kelly, G.L., Bell, A.I. and Rickinson, A.B. (2009). Burkitt lymphoma: The Rosetta Stone deciphering Epstein-Barr virus biology. Sem. Can. Biol. 19:377-388.

Chaganti, S., Heath, E.M., Bergler, W., Kuo, M., Buettner, M., Niedobitek, G., Rickinson, A.B. and Bell, A.I. (2009). Epstein-Barr virus colonisation of tonsillar and peripheral blood B cell subsets in primary infection and persistence. Blood 113: 6372-6381.

Chaganti, S., Ma, C.S., Bell, A.I., Croom-Carter, D., Hislop, A.D., Tangye, S.G. and Rickinson, A.B. (2008). Epstein-Barr virus persistence in the absence of conventional memory B cells: IgM+ IgD+ CD27+ B cells harbour the virus in X-linked lymphoproliferative disease patients. Blood 112, 672-679.

Tierney, R., Nagra, J., Hutchings, I., Shannon-Lowe, C., Altmann, M., Hammerschmidt, W., Rickinson, A.B. and Bell, A.I. (2007). Epstein-Barr virus exploits BSAP/PAX5 to achieve the B cell specificity of its growth transforming program. J. Virol. 81, 10092-10100.

Back to top