Michael A. Epstein

Sir Michael Anthony Epstein
Born (1921-05-18) 18 May 1921
Nationality United Kingdom
Occupation Virology
Known for Epstein-Barr virus
Awards Royal Medal (1992)

Sir Michael Anthony Epstein, CBE, FRS, FMedSci (born 18 May 1921) is a British pathologist and academic. He is one of the discoverers of the Epstein-Barr virus.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Epstein was educated at St. Paul's School (London) in London, Trinity College, Cambridge and Middlesex Hospital Medical School. Epstein was Professor of Pathology, 1968-85 (now Professor Emeritus), and Head of Department, 1968-82 at the University of Bristol. In 1979 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and was its Vice-President from 1986 to 1991. He was awarded its Royal Medal in 1992. He was awarded the CBE in 1985 and knighted in 1991. Epstein was a Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford from 1986 until 2001, and has been an Honorary Fellow since 2001. He became a founding Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 1998. In 2006, Epstein was awarded a D.Sc. from Bristol. He is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.

Epstein was the first person to propose that Burkitt's Lymphoma was a cancer caused by a virus. Upon hearing a lecture given by D.P. Burkitt in 1961 about this newly described cancer, Epstein changed his research focus from cancer causing viruses in chickens to searching for a viral origin of Burkitt's Lymphoma.[9] After more than two years of working with tumour cells from Burkitt's patients and subsequently working to isolate a virus from them, the Epstein-Barr virus was finally discovered in February of 1964.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Bornkamm, G. W.; Delius, H.; Zimber, U.; Hudewentz, J.; Epstein, M. A. (1980). "Comparison of Epstein-Barr virus strains of different origin by analysis of the viral DNAs". Journal of Virology 35 (3): 603–618. PMC 288854. PMID 6252328.
  2. ↑ North, J. R.; Morgan, A. J.; Thompson, J. L.; Epstein, M. A. (1982). "Purified Epstein-Barr virus Mr 340,000 glycoprotein induces potent virus-neutralizing antibodies when incorporated in liposomes". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 79 (23): 7504–7508. doi:10.1073/pnas.79.23.7504. PMC 347368. PMID 6296836.
  3. ↑ Gaston, J. S.; Rickinson, A. B.; Yao, Q. Y.; Epstein, M. A. (1986). "The abnormal cytotoxic T cell response to Epstein-Barr virus in rheumatoid arthritis is correlated with disease activity and occurs in other arthropathies". Annals of the rheumatic diseases 45 (11): 932–936. doi:10.1136/ard.45.11.932. PMC 1002022. PMID 2878645.
  4. ↑ Epstein, M. A.; Morgan, A. J. (1983). "Clinical consequences of Epstein-Barr virus infection and possible control by an anti-viral vaccine". Clinical and experimental immunology 53 (2): 257–271. PMC 1535689. PMID 6309441.
  5. ↑ Rickinson, A. B.; Finerty, S.; Epstein, M. A. (1982). "Interaction of Epstein-Barr virus with leukaemic B cells in vitro. I. Abortive infection and rare cell line establishment from chronic lymphocytic leukaemic cells". Clinical and experimental immunology 50 (2): 347–354. PMC 1536694. PMID 6295671.
  6. ↑ Rickinson, A. B.; Crawford, D.; Epstein, M. A. (1977). "Inhibition of the in vitro outgrowth of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphocytes by thymus-dependent lymphocytes from infectious mononucleosis patients". Clinical and experimental immunology 28 (1): 72–79. PMC 1540876. PMID 193663.
  7. ↑ Yao, Q. Y.; Rickinson, A. B.; Gaston, J. S.; Epstein, M. A. (1986). "Disturbance of the Epstein-Barr virus-host balance in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A quantitative study". Clinical and experimental immunology 64 (2): 302–310. PMC 1542331. PMID 3017620.
  8. ↑ Epstein, M. A.; Randle, B. J.; Finerty, S.; Kirkwood, J. K. (1986). "Not all potently neutralizing, vaccine-induced antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus ensure protection of susceptible experimental animals". Clinical and experimental immunology 63 (3): 485–490. PMC 1577551. PMID 3011324.
  9. ↑ McGrath, Paula (6 April 2014). "Cancer virus discovery helped by delayed flight". BBC News, Health. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  10. ↑ Epstein, A. (2012). "Burkitt Lymphoma and the discovery of Epstein-Barr virus". British Journal of Haematology (156): 777-779. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2011.09008.x.

External links

Epstein-Barr virus, Sir Anthony Epstein FRS


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