Journal of Cytology & Histology

Geoffrey Burnstock

Geoffrey Burnstock
Professor
University College Medical School, UK

Research Interest

Although his initial interest in ATP was firmly in the realm of basic science, in recent years Professor Burnstock has worked with medical researchers and industry to help ensure that his discovery can be developed to medical treatment. When he first suggested that ATP was a neurotransmitter, the idea was met with scepticism, largely because ATP is so ubiquitous in body systems that people found it difficult to accept that it had a neurotransmitter function. But now, the very prevalence of ATP as an extracellular signalling molecule is what makes this discovery so exciting for biomedical research, because it affects most body systems.