Thomas W. Bell

Department: Chemistry
Academic Unit: Science
Title: Professor
Professional degrees: B.S. California Institute of Technology, Ph.D. University College, London

Contact Information

Mail Stop: 216
Phone: 775-784 1842
Fax: 775-784 6804
e-mail: twb@unr.edu

Research Interests

Our major research area is medicinal chemistry and we are especially interested in designing and discovering novel antiviral drugs. For example, we have synthesized a series of new drugs called CADA compounds, which inhibit entry of the HIV virus into host cells. This is accomplished by down-modulating CD4, the cell-surface receptor required for binding of the virus. CADA compounds do this by inhibiting post-translational translocation of nascent CD4 across the ER membrane. Current work is aimed at determining the exact molecular mechanism by which CADA compounds perform this unique task.

Current Graduate Students:
Rameez Ali
Rio Andaya
Violeta Demillo
Sunil Hamal
Chiraphorn Khan
Nick Pflug
Krishna Sahteli
Emily Scarbrough


Selected Publications

Jenabian MA, Saïdi H, Charpentier C, Bouhlal H, Schols D, Balzarini J, Bell TW, Vanham G, Bélec L. Differential activity of candidate microbicides against early steps of HIV-1 infection upon complement virus opsonization. AIDS Res Ther. 2010 Jun 14;7:16-23.

Vermeire K, Van Laethem K, Janssens W, Bell TW, Schols D. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 escape from cyclotriazadisulfonamide-induced CD4-targeted entry inhibition is associated with increased neutralizing antibody susceptibility. J Virol. 2009 Sep;83(18):9577-83.

Vermeire K, Brouwers J, Van Herrewege Y, Le Grand R, Vanham G, Augustijns P, Bell TW, Schols D. CADA, a potential anti-HIV microbicide that specifically targets the cellular CD4 receptor. Curr HIV Res. 2008 May;6(3):246-56.

Vermeire K, Lisco A, Grivel JC, Scarbrough E, Dey K, Duffy N, Margolis L, Bell TW, Schols D. Design and cellular kinetics of dansyl-labeled CADA derivatives with anti-HIV and CD4 receptor down-modulating activity.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2007 Aug 15;74(4):566-78.

Bell TW, Anugu S, Bailey P, Catalano VJ, Dey K, Drew MG, Duffy NH, Jin Q, Samala MF, Sodoma A, Welch WH, Schols D, Vermeire K. Synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of CD4 down-modulating cyclotriazadisulfonamide (CADA) analogs. J Med Chem. 2006 Feb 23;49(4):1291-312.