Burnstock

Geoffrey Burnstock is a British pharmacologist best known for proposing the purinergic signaling hypothesis. In the 1970s he suggested that extracellular nucleotides, particularly ATP, act as neurotransmitters and signaling molecules in the nervous system and other tissues, challenging the view that nucleotides were only intracellular energy carriers or metabolic intermediates. He introduced the term purinergic to describe signaling pathways mediated by purines and their nucleotides.

Burnstock proposed receptor families to distinguish purinergic signaling: P1 receptors for adenosine and P2 receptors for ATP and ADP. This framework laid the groundwork for identifying later subtypes, including the P2X family of ligand-gated ion channels and the P2Y family of G-protein-coupled receptors. The purinergic concept has since been extended beyond neuroscience to encompass vascular, immune, and urinary functions, as well as pain and inflammation, making ATP and other purines central to many physiological processes.

Initially controversial, Burnstock’s ideas gradually gained support as pharmacological, physiological, and molecular evidence accumulated. His work helped establish purinergic signaling as a major mechanism of intercellular communication and stimulated ongoing research, drug discovery, and broader investigations into purine biology.

Throughout his career, Burnstock was associated with institutions in the United Kingdom, including University College London, where he contributed to pharmacology research and training. His legacy lies in a transformed understanding of how cells communicate and regulate a wide range of bodily functions through purinergic signaling.