Graeme I Bell

Dr. Bell's research focuses on the genetics of diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders and the developmental biology of the insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cell. The goals of his research program are: 1) to identify the genes that contribute to the development of diabetes and to determine the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which they control blood glucose levels; and 2) to develop new approaches for treating diabetes. He and his colleagues are using various genetic approaches to map and identify the genes that cause diabetes. They carry out studies in both humans and mouse models to determine the mechanisms by which the diabetes genes they identify affect blood glucose levels. Their studies of pancreatic beta-cell development are focused on the identification of stem and progenitor cells that could be used to treat diabetes.

Dr. Bell's research focuses on the genetics of diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders and the developmental biology of the insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cell. The goals of his research program are: 1) to identify the genes that contribute to the development of diabetes and to determine the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which they control blood glucose levels; and 2) to develop new approaches for treating diabetes. He and his colleagues are using various genetic approaches to map and identify the genes that cause diabetes. They carry out studies in both humans and mouse models to determine the mechanisms by which the diabetes genes they identify affect blood glucose levels. Their studies of pancreatic beta-cell development are focused on the identification of stem and progenitor cells that could be used to treat diabetes.

Støy, J., Edghill, E.L., Flanagan, S.E., Ye, H., Paz, V.P., Pluzhnikov, A., Below, J.E., Hayes, M.G., Cox, N.J., Lipkind, G.M., Lipton, R.B., Greeley, S.A., Patch, A.-M., Ellard, S., Steiner, D.F., Hattersley, A.T., Philipson, L.H. and Bell, G.I.; for the Neonatal Diabetes International Collaborative Group. (2007). Insulin gene mutations as a cause of permanent neonatal diabetes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104: 15040-15044. Epub 2007 Sep 12. 

Hayes, M.G., Pluzhnikov, A., Miyake, K., Sun, Y., Ng, M.C., Roe, C.A., Below, J.E., Nicolae, R.I., Konkashbaev, A., Bell, G.I., Cox, N.J. and Hanis, C.L. (2007). Identification of type 2 diabetes genes in Mexican Americans through genome-wide association studies. Diabetes 2007 Sep 10; [Epub ahead of print]. 

Hathout, E., Mace, J., Bell, G.I. and Njølstad, P.R. (2006). Treatment of hyperglycemia in 7-year-old child diagnosed with neonatal diabetes. Diabetes Care 29:1458. 

Odom, D.T., Dowell, R.D., Jacobsen, E.S., Nekludova, L., Rolfe, P.A., Danford, T.W., Gifford, D.K., Fraenkel, E., Bell, G.I. and Young, R.A. (2006). Core transcriptional regulatory circuitry in human hepatocytes. Mol. Systems Biol. doi:10.1038/msb4100059. 

Odom, D.T., Zizlsperger, N., Gordon, D.B., Bell, G.W., Rinaldi, N.J., Murray, H.L., Volkert, T.L., Schreiber, J., Rolfe, P.A., Gifford, D.K., Fraenkel, E., Bell, G.I. and Young, R.A. (2004). Control of pancreas and liver gene expression by HNF transcription factors. Science 303:1378-1381. 

Johnson, J.D., Han, Z., Otani, K., Ye, H., Zhang, Y., Wu, H., Horikawa, Y., Misler, S., Bell, G.I. and Polonsky, K.S. (2004). RyR2 and calpain-10 delineate a novel apoptosis pathway in pancreatic islets. J. Biol. Chem. 279:24794-24802. Epub 2004 Mar 25. 

Sagen, J.V., Raeder, H., Hathout, E., Shehadeh, N., Gudmundsson, K., Baevre, H., Abuelo, D., Phornphutkul, C., Molnes, J., Bell, G.I., Gloyn, A.L., Hattersley, A.T., Molven, A., Sovik, O. and Njolstad, P.R. (2004). Permanent neonatal diabetes due to mutations in KCNJ11 encoding Kir6.2. Patient characteristics and initial response to sulfonylurea therapy. Diabetes 53:2713-2718. 

Park, S.Y., Wang, X., Chen, Z., Powers, A.C., Magnuson, M.A., Head, W.S., Piston, D.W. and Bell G.I. (2005) Optical imaging of pancreatic beta cells in living mice expressing a mouse insulin I promoter-firefly luciferase transgene. Genesis 43:80-86 [Epub ahead of print]. 

Støy, J., Edghill, E.L., Flanagan, S.E., Ye, H., Paz, V.P., Pluzhnikov, A., Below, J.E., Hayes, M.G., Cox, N.J., Lipkind, G.M., Lipton, R.B., Greeley, S.A., Patch, A.-M., Ellard, S., Steiner, D.F., Hattersley, A.T., Philipson, L.H. and Bell, G.I.; for the Neonatal Diabetes International Collaborative Group. (2007). Insulin gene mutations as a cause of permanent neonatal diabetes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104: 15040-15044. Epub 2007 Sep 12. 

Hayes, M.G., Pluzhnikov, A., Miyake, K., Sun, Y., Ng, M.C., Roe, C.A., Below, J.E., Nicolae, R.I., Konkashbaev, A., Bell, G.I., Cox, N.J. and Hanis, C.L. (2007). Identification of type 2 diabetes genes in Mexican Americans through genome-wide association studies. Diabetes 2007 Sep 10; [Epub ahead of print]. 

Hathout, E., Mace, J., Bell, G.I. and Njølstad, P.R. (2006). Treatment of hyperglycemia in 7-year-old child diagnosed with neonatal diabetes. Diabetes Care 29:1458. 

Odom, D.T., Dowell, R.D., Jacobsen, E.S., Nekludova, L., Rolfe, P.A., Danford, T.W., Gifford, D.K., Fraenkel, E., Bell, G.I. and Young, R.A. (2006). Core transcriptional regulatory circuitry in human hepatocytes. Mol. Systems Biol. doi:10.1038/msb4100059. 

Odom, D.T., Zizlsperger, N., Gordon, D.B., Bell, G.W., Rinaldi, N.J., Murray, H.L., Volkert, T.L., Schreiber, J., Rolfe, P.A., Gifford, D.K., Fraenkel, E., Bell, G.I. and Young, R.A. (2004). Control of pancreas and liver gene expression by HNF transcription factors. Science 303:1378-1381.