School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health

Dr Connor Blair

  • Research Fellow (Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health)

Biography

  • BSc (Hons) Neuroscience
  • MRes in Biomedical Sciences
  • PhD  Molecular Pharmacology

Research interests

Research Theme: Cardiac

Discovering and developing precision peptide modulators of pathological protein-protein interactions as novel therapeutics against diseases with the highest unmet needs.

  1. Peptide Drug Discovery & Development
  2. Protein-Protein Interactions
  3. Pharmacology
  4. Cell Biology

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019
Number of items: 17.

2025

Shakya, A. et al. (2025) Discovery of a PDE4B and PDE4D selective bifunctional degrader for management of chronic inflammatory disorders. Journal of Translational Autoimmunity, 11, 100329. (doi: 10.1016/j.jtauto.2025.100329) (PMID:41278249) (PMCID:PMC12637402)

Cooke, S. F. et al. (2025) Targeting MDM2 homodimer and heterodimer disruption with DRx-098D in TP53 wild-type and mutant cancer cells. Molecular Therapy Oncology, 33(3), 201029. (doi: 10.1016/j.omton.2025.201029) (PMID:40896364) (PMCID:PMC12395054)

O'Gorman, Bria, Cooke, Sean F. and Blair, Connor M. (2025) Precision peptide disruptors: the next generation of targeted therapeutics in oncology. Cellular Signalling, 132, 111783. (doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2025.111783)

2024

Main, Alice, Mary, Sheon ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9392-3020, Sin, Yuan Yan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6537-5266, Wright, Tom A., Ling, Jiayue, Blair, Connor M., Smith, Godfrey L. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4821-9741, Fuller, Will ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5883-4433 and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2024) SUMOylation of cardiac myosin binding protein-C reduces its phosphorylation and results in impaired relaxation following treatment with isoprenaline. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 176, 106668. (doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106668) (PMID:39321569)

Sin, Y. Y. et al. (2024) Beta-amyloid interacts with and activates the longform phosphodiesterase PDE4D5 in neuronal cells to reduce cAMP availability. FEBS Letters, 598(13), pp. 1591-1604. (doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.14902) (PMID:38724485)

Cooke, S. F. et al. (2024) Disruption of the pro-oncogenic c-RAF–PDE8A complex represents a differentiated approach to treating KRAS–c-RAF dependent PDAC. Scientific Reports, 14, 8998. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59451-3) (PMID:38637546) (PMCID:PMC11026450)

Cooke, Sean F. and Blair, Connor M. (2024) Exploiting c-RAF dependency in RAS mutant cancer: Beyond catalytic activity. Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy, 24(3-4), pp. 95-100. (doi: 10.1080/14737140.2024.2319035)

2023

Brown, Alexandra D., Vergunst, Kathleen L., Branch, Makenzie, Blair, Connor M., Dupré, Denis J., Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 and Langelaan, David N. (2023) Structural basis of CBP/p300 recruitment by the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: Molecular Cell Research, 1870(7), 119520. (doi: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119520) (PMID:37353163)

Wright, Thomas A., Gemmell, Alistair O., Tejeda, Gonzalo S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2900-6276, Blair, Connor M. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2023) Cancer: phosphodiesterase type 4C (PDE4C), the forgotten subfamily as a therapeutic target. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 162, 106453. (doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2023.106453) (PMID:37499270)

Paes, D. et al. (2023) Ablation of specific long PDE4D isoforms increases neurite elongation and conveys protection against amyloid-β pathology. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 80(7), 178. (doi: 10.1007/s00018-023-04804-w) (PMID:37306762) (PMCID:PMC10261250)

2022

Tibbo, A. J. et al. (2022) Phosphodiesterase type 4 anchoring regulates cAMP signaling to Popeye domain-containing proteins. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 165, pp. 86-102. (doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2022.01.001) (PMID:34999055) (PMCID:PMC8986152)

2021

Mahindra, A. et al. (2021) Peptides derived from the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding motif bind to ACE2 but do not block ACE2-mediated host cell entry or pro-inflammatory cytokine induction. PLoS ONE, 16(11), e0260283. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260283) (PMID:34793553) (PMCID:PMC8601423)

Morgan, D. C. et al. (2021) Stapled ACE2 peptidomimetics designed to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein do not prevent virus internalisation. Peptide Science, 113(4), e24217. (doi: 10.1002/pep2.24217) (PMID:33615115) (PMCID:PMC7883042)

2020

Ling, Jiayue, Blair, Connor M. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2020) Fibrin Breakdown Assay. Bio-Protocol, 10(8), e3585. (doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3585)

Blair, Connor M., Ling, Jiayue and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2020) Measuring cAMP specific phosphodiesterase activity: a two-step radioassay. Bio-Protocol, 10(7), e3581. (doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3581) (PMID:33659551) (PMCID:PMC7842805)

2019

Blair, Connor M. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2019) Reshaping cAMP nanodomains through targeted disruption of compartmentalised phosphodiesterase signalosomes. Biochemical Society Transactions, 47(5), pp. 1405-1414. (doi: 10.1042/BST20190252) (PMID:31506329)

Blair, Connor M., Walsh, Nicola, Littman, Bruce H., Marcoux, Frank W. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2019) Targeting B-Raf inhibitor resistant melanoma with novel cell penetrating peptide disrupters of PDE8A – C-Raf. BMC Cancer, 19, 266. (doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5489-4) (PMID:30909892) (PMCID:PMC6434832)

This list was generated on Tue Sep 29 20:52:50 2026 BST.
Jump to: Articles
Number of items: 17.

Articles

Shakya, A. et al. (2025) Discovery of a PDE4B and PDE4D selective bifunctional degrader for management of chronic inflammatory disorders. Journal of Translational Autoimmunity, 11, 100329. (doi: 10.1016/j.jtauto.2025.100329) (PMID:41278249) (PMCID:PMC12637402)

Cooke, S. F. et al. (2025) Targeting MDM2 homodimer and heterodimer disruption with DRx-098D in TP53 wild-type and mutant cancer cells. Molecular Therapy Oncology, 33(3), 201029. (doi: 10.1016/j.omton.2025.201029) (PMID:40896364) (PMCID:PMC12395054)

O'Gorman, Bria, Cooke, Sean F. and Blair, Connor M. (2025) Precision peptide disruptors: the next generation of targeted therapeutics in oncology. Cellular Signalling, 132, 111783. (doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2025.111783)

Main, Alice, Mary, Sheon ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9392-3020, Sin, Yuan Yan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6537-5266, Wright, Tom A., Ling, Jiayue, Blair, Connor M., Smith, Godfrey L. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4821-9741, Fuller, Will ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5883-4433 and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2024) SUMOylation of cardiac myosin binding protein-C reduces its phosphorylation and results in impaired relaxation following treatment with isoprenaline. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 176, 106668. (doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106668) (PMID:39321569)

Sin, Y. Y. et al. (2024) Beta-amyloid interacts with and activates the longform phosphodiesterase PDE4D5 in neuronal cells to reduce cAMP availability. FEBS Letters, 598(13), pp. 1591-1604. (doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.14902) (PMID:38724485)

Cooke, S. F. et al. (2024) Disruption of the pro-oncogenic c-RAF–PDE8A complex represents a differentiated approach to treating KRAS–c-RAF dependent PDAC. Scientific Reports, 14, 8998. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59451-3) (PMID:38637546) (PMCID:PMC11026450)

Cooke, Sean F. and Blair, Connor M. (2024) Exploiting c-RAF dependency in RAS mutant cancer: Beyond catalytic activity. Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy, 24(3-4), pp. 95-100. (doi: 10.1080/14737140.2024.2319035)

Brown, Alexandra D., Vergunst, Kathleen L., Branch, Makenzie, Blair, Connor M., Dupré, Denis J., Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 and Langelaan, David N. (2023) Structural basis of CBP/p300 recruitment by the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: Molecular Cell Research, 1870(7), 119520. (doi: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119520) (PMID:37353163)

Wright, Thomas A., Gemmell, Alistair O., Tejeda, Gonzalo S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2900-6276, Blair, Connor M. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2023) Cancer: phosphodiesterase type 4C (PDE4C), the forgotten subfamily as a therapeutic target. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 162, 106453. (doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2023.106453) (PMID:37499270)

Paes, D. et al. (2023) Ablation of specific long PDE4D isoforms increases neurite elongation and conveys protection against amyloid-β pathology. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 80(7), 178. (doi: 10.1007/s00018-023-04804-w) (PMID:37306762) (PMCID:PMC10261250)

Tibbo, A. J. et al. (2022) Phosphodiesterase type 4 anchoring regulates cAMP signaling to Popeye domain-containing proteins. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 165, pp. 86-102. (doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2022.01.001) (PMID:34999055) (PMCID:PMC8986152)

Mahindra, A. et al. (2021) Peptides derived from the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding motif bind to ACE2 but do not block ACE2-mediated host cell entry or pro-inflammatory cytokine induction. PLoS ONE, 16(11), e0260283. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260283) (PMID:34793553) (PMCID:PMC8601423)

Morgan, D. C. et al. (2021) Stapled ACE2 peptidomimetics designed to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein do not prevent virus internalisation. Peptide Science, 113(4), e24217. (doi: 10.1002/pep2.24217) (PMID:33615115) (PMCID:PMC7883042)

Ling, Jiayue, Blair, Connor M. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2020) Fibrin Breakdown Assay. Bio-Protocol, 10(8), e3585. (doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3585)

Blair, Connor M., Ling, Jiayue and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2020) Measuring cAMP specific phosphodiesterase activity: a two-step radioassay. Bio-Protocol, 10(7), e3581. (doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3581) (PMID:33659551) (PMCID:PMC7842805)

Blair, Connor M. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2019) Reshaping cAMP nanodomains through targeted disruption of compartmentalised phosphodiesterase signalosomes. Biochemical Society Transactions, 47(5), pp. 1405-1414. (doi: 10.1042/BST20190252) (PMID:31506329)

Blair, Connor M., Walsh, Nicola, Littman, Bruce H., Marcoux, Frank W. and Baillie, George S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-6316 (2019) Targeting B-Raf inhibitor resistant melanoma with novel cell penetrating peptide disrupters of PDE8A – C-Raf. BMC Cancer, 19, 266. (doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5489-4) (PMID:30909892) (PMCID:PMC6434832)

This list was generated on Tue Sep 29 20:52:50 2026 BST.

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