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Professor Gregory Atkins

Fellow Emeritus (Microbiology)
      
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Professor Gregory Atkins

Fellow Emeritus (Microbiology)

 Gregory.Atkins@tcd.ie

 


  A7-STRAIN   ALLELE LOSS   ALPHAVIRUS   ALPHAVIRUS ENCEPHALITIS   ALPHAVIRUSES   AMINO-ACID CHANGE   ANTIBODIES   ANTIBODY   ANTI-GALACTOCEREBROSIDE   APOPTOSIS   APOPTOTIC CELLS   BARR VIRUS-DNA   BCL-2   B-CLL   BHK CELLS   BIOSAFETY   BIRNAVIRUS   BORDETELLA-PERTUSSIS   BRAIN   BURSAL DISEASE VIRUS   CANINE-DISTEMPER VIRUS   CARCINOGENESIS   CARCINOMA   CATTLE   CELL-CULTURES   CELLS   CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM   CEREBELLUM   CERVICAL-CANCER   CHALLENGE   CULTURES   CUTANEOUS LESIONS   DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS   DELETION   DEMYELINATION   DENGUE   DNA   DNA VACCINES   ENVELOPE PROTEIN   EPIDERMODYSPLASIA-VERRUCIFORMIS   EPITHELIAL-CELLS   EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS   EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS   EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS   EXPRESSION   GALACTOCEREBROSIDE   Gene Therapy   GENE-EXPRESSION   GENE-MUTATIONS   GENOME   GRANULE CELLS   HETEROZYGOSITY   HUMAN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER   HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS   HUMORAL IMMUNE-RESPONSES   IL-12   IL-4   IMMUNE-RESPONSES   IMMUNIZATION   IMMUNOGOLD-SILVER STAINING   IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION   IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY   IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION   INFECTION   INSITU HYBRIDIZATION   IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION   INTERFERON-GAMMA   KI-67   LESIONS   LOSS OF HETEROZYGOSITY   LOUPING ILL VIRUS   LOW PH   MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES   MDM2   MEMBRANE   METASTASIS   MICE   MICROWAVE IN SITU   MOLECULAR ANALYSIS   MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS   MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS   MURINE MODEL   MYELIN BASIC-PROTEIN   NEONATAL MICE   NEURONAL DEPLETION   NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE   ORAL HAIRY LEUKOPLAKIA   P21   P53   P53 CODON 72 POLYMORPHISM   PAPILLOMAVIRUS   PLASMID DNA   PROLIFERATION INDEX   PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY   PROTEOLYTIC CLEAVAGE   RECOMBINANT VACCINES   RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS   RETINOBLASTOMA GENE   RISK FACTOR   SEMLIKI FOREST VIRUS   SINDBIS VIRUS   SKIN   SKIN CANCER   SPORADIC BREAST-CANCER   TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS   TISSUE-SECTIONS   VECTOR   Virology
Project Title
 Construction and development of a new prototype measles-mumps-rubella vaccine based on recombinant RNA
From
2004
To
2008
Summary
€ 766846
Funding Agency
Science Foundation Ireland
Programme
Investigator Programme Grant
Project Type
Gene Therapy
Person Months
72
Project Title
 Therapy for MS
From
2005
To
2008
Summary
€ 25125
Funding Agency
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland
Project Title
 Construction and development of novel and improved Semliki Forest virus vectors for RNA-based transient gene therapy
From
2005
To
2008
Summary
€ 156321
Funding Agency
Science Foudation Ireland
Programme
Research Frontiers Programme
Project Type
Gene Therapy
Person Months
36
Project Title
 Treatment of glioma using an RNA gene therapy vector
From
2005
To
2009
Summary
€ 160000
Funding Agency
Science Foundation Ireland
Programme
Annual Overheads Investment Prgramme
Project Type
Gene Therapy
Person Months
48
Project Title
 Development of a replication competent RNA vector for the treatment of advanced solid tumours
From
2006
To
2009
Summary
€ 243473
Funding Agency
Enterprise Ireland
Programme
Commercialisation Fund for Technology Development
Project Type
Commercialisation
Person Months
36

Details Date
Committee, Society for General Microbiology, Irish Branch 1978-1981, 1982-1985
Evaluation panel, Enterprise Ireland Basic Science Programme 1992,1998
EU evaluation panel, Biotechnology Programme 1996, 1997
Member, WHO working group on Biosafety of Nucleic Acid Vaccines 1999-
First and second stage evaluation panels, EU 5th Framework Programme 1999
Research Committee, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland 1999-
Health Research Board Committees: Mechanisms of Disease and North-South Collaboration 2000 - 2004
GMO Advisory Committee, Environmental Protection Agency 2001
Interview panel, HRB Research Fellowships 2003
Consultant for Environmental Protection Agency (industrial use of viral vectors) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Consultant for Alexander Harris, UK solicitors for vaccine-damaged children (also advisor to barristers involved in MMR litigation). 2001, 2002
Details Date From Date To
British Society for Gene Therapy (founder member)
European Society for Gene Therapy
International Society for Neurovirology (founder member).
American Society for Microbiology
Society for General Microbiology
Atkins, G.J. and Sheahan, B.J., Molecular determinants of alphavirus neuropathogenesis in mice, Journal of General Virology, 97, (6), 2016, p1283-1296 , Notes: [cited By 8], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Roche, F.P., Sheahan, B.J., O'Mara, S.M., Atkins, G.J., Semliki Forest virus-mediated gene therapy of the RG2 rat glioma, Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 36, (7), 2010, p648-660 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Piggott, J.M., Sheahan, B.J., Soden, D.M., O'Sullivan, G.C., Atkins, G.J., Electroporation of RNA stimulates immunity to an encoded reporter gene in mice , Molecular Medicine Reports, 2, (5), 2009, p753-756 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Quinn,K, Galbraith, SE, Sheahan, BJ, Atkins, GJ., Effect of intranasal administration of Semliki Forest virus recombinant particles expressing interferon-ß on the progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis., Molecular Medicine Reports., 1, (3), 2008, p335 - 342, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  URL
Atkins GJ, Fleeton MN, Sheahan, BJ. , Therapeutic and prophylactic applications of alphavirus vectors., Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine., 10, 2008, pe33 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Logue CH, Sheahan BJ, Atkins GJ, The 5' untranslated region as a pathogenicity determinant of Semliki Forest virus in mice., Virus genes, 36, (2), 2008, p313-21 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
J A Lyons, B J Sheahan, S E Galbraith, R Mehra, G J Atkins and M N Fleeton, Inhibition of angiogenesis by a Semliki Forest virus vector expressing VEGFR-2 reduces tumour growth and metastasis in mice, Gene Therapy, 14, 2007, p503 - 513, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Callagy S.J., Kelly B.J., Fleeton M.N., Sheahan B.J., Galbraith S.E., and Atkins, G. J., Semliki Forest virus vectors expressing the H and HN genes of measles and mumps viruses reduce immunity induced by the envelope protein genes of rubella virus., Vaccine, 25, (43), 2007, p7481 - 7490, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Galbraith, S.E., Atkins, G. J., Sheahan, B. J., A Semliki Forest virus replication competent vector with enhanced biosafety., 2007, WO2007/102140, Patent, PUBLISHED
Kelly BJ, Fleeton MN, Atkins GJ., Potential of Alphavirus Vectors in the Treatment of Advanced Solid Tumors, Recent patents on anti-cancer drug discovery, 2, 2007, p159-166 , Review, PUBLISHED
  

Page 1 of 12
Atkins, G. J., SGM workshop on Viral Vectors, 2003, Edinburgh, Meetings /Conferences Organised, PUBLISHED
Chikungunya Virus (Ross) Complete Genome, Genbank, AF490259, 2002, [Logue CH, Atkins GJ], Item in dictionary or encyclopaedia, etc, PUBLISHED
Semliki Forest Virus (L10) Complete Genome, Genbank, AY112987, 2002, [Logue,C., Mooney,D., Shanley,R. and Atkins,G.J.], Item in dictionary or encyclopaedia, etc, PUBLISHED

  


Award Date
UICC Fellow, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden 1975
EMBO Fellow, University of Helsinki, Finland 1980
Fogarty International Fellow, Washington University, St. Louis, USA 1984
Fellow, Trinity College Dublin 1983
Current research interests 1.Analysis of the molecular basis of alphavirus pathogenicity: We have suggested mechanisms of teratogenesis and neurovirulence of Semliki Forest virus at the cellular level and our current work is aimed at determination of the molecular control of pathogenesis. In this work we utilise infectious clones of SFV. By using chimeric virus construction and site-directed mutagenesis, we have shown that several mutations and sequences can influence viral pathogenesis. Current work involves analysis of the mechanisms of virus-induced death in neural cells and the involvement of virus proteins in this process. 2. Analysis of the mechanism of virus-induced demyelination and its relevance to multiple sclerosis: Present work is aimed at elucidating the role of cytokines, virus persistence and apoptosis in the process of demyelination. This work has been extended to include human rubella virus (a togavirus like SFV), and we have shown that rubella virus has similar tropism in neural cell culture to SFV. 3. Use of Semliki Forest virus as a vector in the construction of viral vaccines ,as a tumour therapy agent and as a CNS vector: Virus vaccines in current use have many disadvantages and in rare cases can cause disease. We are using a vector system, developed by workers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm with our help, to construct new virus vaccines. This is a collaborative project with the Karolinska Institute and the Department of Veterinary Pathology at UCD, and part of our work is concerned with improvement of the biosafety of the system. This work has recently been extended to the use of SFV as a cytotoxic cancer therapy agent, and to the development of SFV as a vector for the central nervous system. New virus vectors are currently being constructed and patented.