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.

• Title

  Furthering the development of potent thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme (TRH-DE inhibitors - toward a novel therapeutic strategy for CNS disorders.
  Summary

  €238,703 (2005-2008) [Principal Investigator (PI)]
  Funding Agency

  HRB Project Grant RP/2005/152
  Date From

  2005
  Date To

  2008
• Title

  Determining beneficial effects of a new therapeutic compound, JAK4D, in the SOD1 mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
  Summary

  €128,500 Principal Investigator
  Funding Agency

  Irish Motor Neurone Disease Research Foundation
  Date From

  2009
  Date To

  2011
• Title

  Development of a Novel Compound for treating Neurological Disorders.
  Summary

  €392,415 Principal Investigator (PI)
  Funding Agency

  Enterprise Ireland CFTD/2006/122
  Date From

  2007
  Date To

  2009
• Title

  Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Neurotherapeutic for ALS
  Summary

  Principal Investigator
  Funding Agency

  Fondation Thierry Latran
  Date From

  2011
  Date To

  2012
• Title

  Exploration of ribozyme-based suppression of thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme (TRH-DE) gene expression as a novel therapeutic approach for CNS injury.
  Summary

  HRB Project Grant: €112,500. Co-PI with Dr. G. J. Farrar
  Funding Agency

  HRB Project Grant
  Date From

  2002
  Date To

  2005
• Title

  Parenteral delivery system for first in class compound with potential therapeutic application in CNS disorders.
  Summary

  €85,025 (2006-2007) Principal Investigator (PI)
  Funding Agency

  Enterprise Ireland
  Date From

  2006
  Date To

  2007
• Title

  Exploiting chemical libraries, structural analysis and biological testing to design thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme (TRH-DE) inhibitors for use in the treatment of CNS disorders.
  Summary

  HRB Inter-disciplinary Project Grant: €130,000. Co-PI with Prof. K. F. Tipton (TCD)
  Funding Agency

  HRB Inter-disciplinary Project Grant
  Date From

  2002
  Date To

  2004
• Title

  Systematic study of structure-activity relationships for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) receptor ligands.
  Summary

  Enterprise Ireland Basic Research Grant: €126,800 with Dr. K. M. O'Boyle (PI, UCD)
  Funding Agency

  Enterprise Ireland Basic Research Grant
  Date From

  2002
  Date To

  2005
• Title

  Design and synthesis of inhibitors of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-degrading ectoenzyme for use in assessing the role of this enzyme and TRH in the CNS.
  Summary

  €497,618. PI
  Funding Agency

  Wellcome Trust Re-Entry Fellowship
  Date From

  1995
  Date To

  2000
• Title

  Development of a Novel Compound for treating Neurological Disorders.
  Summary

  €392,415 (2007-2009) Principal Investigator (PI)
  Funding Agency

  Enterprise Ireland CFTD/2006/122
  Date From

  2006
• Title

  Optimisation and characterisation of potent, selective thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme (TRH-DE) inhibitors and investigation of their functional effects in the CNS
  Summary

  €421,805 (2000 -2004) PI
  Funding Agency

  Wellcome Trust Project Grant
• Title

  Exploration of methods to provide sustained expression of TRH peptide in a target tissue and investigation of neuroprotective properties of TRH.
  Summary

  €165,000 (2005-2008) with Dr G. J. Farrar (PI, TCD) and Professor C. O'Driscoll.

• Sigma Xi
• Royal Society of Chemistry (RCS)
• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN)
• The Biochemical Society