Dr. Julie Kelly

• Kelly JA, Scalabrino GA, Slator GR, Cullen AA, Gilmer JF, Lloyd DG, Bennett GW, Bauer K, Tipton KF, Williams CH., Structure-activity studies with high-affinity inhibitors of pyroglutamyl-peptidase II, Biochem J., 389, (Pt 2), 2005, p569 - 576Journal Article, 2005
• Kelly JA, Slator GR, O'Boyle KM., Pharmacological distinct binding sites in rat brain for [3H]-thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and [3H][3-methyl-histidine2]TRH, Biochem. Pharmacol., 63, (12), 2002, p2197 - 2206Journal Article, 2002
• Papadopoulos T, Kelly JA, Bauer K., Mutational analysis of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme. Similarities and differences with other members of the M1 family of aminopeptidases and thermolysin, Biochemistry, 40, 2001, p9347 - 9355Journal Article, 2001
• Kelly JA, Slator GR, Tipton KF, Williams CH, Bauer K., Kinetic investigation of the specificity of porcine brain thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme for thyrotropin-releasing hormone-like peptides, J. Biol. Chem., 275, (22), 2000, p16746 - 16751Journal Article, 2000
• Kelly JA, Slator GR, Tipton KF, Williams CH, Bauer K., Development of a continuous fluorometric coupled enzyme assay for thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme, Anal. Biochem., 274, 1999, p195 - 202Journal Article, 1999
• Kelly Julie A, Irish Patent Application, Compounds that modulate TRH actions, 2004, PCT/IE2005/000110Patent, 2004
• Kelly Julie A, TRH-like peptide derivatives as inhibitors of the TRH-degrading ectoenzyme, 2000, PCT/IE01/00027; US 0030166944Patent, 2000
• Hogan N, O'Boyle KM, Hinkle PM, Kelly JA. , A novel TRH analog, Glp-Asn-Pro-d-Tyr-d-TrpNH2, binds to [3H][3-Me-His2]TRH-labelled sites in rat hippocampus and cortex but not pituitary or heterologous cells expressing TRHR1 or TRHR2., Neurosci Lett., 431, (1), 2008, p26-30.Journal Article, 2008, DOI , URL
• Scalabrino GA, Hogan N, O'Boyle KM, Slator GR, Gregg DJ, Fitchett, Discovery of a dual action first-in-class peptide that mimics, Neuropharmacology., 52, (7), 2007, p1472-81Journal Article, 2007, DOI , URL
• Campbell M, Kiang AS, Kenna PF, Kerskens C, Blau C, O'Dwyer L, Tivnan A, Kelly JA, Brankin B, Farrar GJ, Humphries P. , RNAi-mediated reversible opening of the blood-brain barrier. , Journal of Gene Medicine, 10, (8), 2008, p930 - 947Journal Article, 2008
• Kelly JA, Boyle NT, Cole N, Slator GR, Colivicchi MA, Stefanini C, Gobbo OL, Scalabrino GA, Ryan SM, Elamin M, Walsh C, Vajda A, Goggin MM, Campbell M, Mash DC, O'Mara SM, Brayden DJ, Callanan JJ, Tipton KF, Della Corte L, Hunter J, O'Boyle KM, Williams CH, Hardiman O, First-in-class thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-based compound binds to a pharmacologically distinct TRH receptor subtype in human brain and is effective in neurodegenerative models., Neuropharmacology, 89C, 2015, p193-203Journal Article, 2015, DOI , TARA - Full Text

The main focus of Dr Kelly's research relates to understanding the functions of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in the central nervous system (CNS) and to enhancing its central therapeutic actions. Based on its central actions, TRH has significant potential in treating a variety of CNS disorders with unmet clinical need, including CNS trauma, spinocerebellar degeneration, epilepsy and depression. Critically, however, the clinical use of TRH and investigation of its CNS functions are hindered due to its rapid degradation. Dr Kelly is currently investigating the properties of novel compounds that may provide a means to reduce TRH degradation and thus may facilitate investigation of TRH actions in an experimental setting and may have potential medical application.