Purinergic signalling research has been advanced by establishing Purine Clubs in Italy, Germany, Japan, the UK, Brazil, North America, China, Australia, and New Zealand. Such clubs have allowed researchers in this field to share their findings, exchange ideas, and build collaborations [1]. In this Special Issue, titled “Purinergic signalling—perspectives from Australia and New Zealand”, members of the Australian and New Zealand Purine Club, founded by the late Geoffrey Burnstock and colleagues in Spring 2018 [2], have contributed a series of articles to showcase purinergic research in these two countries. In preparing this Special Issue, we gratefully acknowledge the excellent editorial assistance of Guest Associate Editors Carolina Gubert and Reece Sophocleous, the invaluable support from Editor-in-Chief Charles Kennedy and the staff at Springer, and the members who contributed articles.

This Special Issue arose from the Second Annual Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Purine Club (chaired by Jennie Cederholm), which afforded the opportunity for members to meet virtually during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2021. Carolina Gubert et al. assembled a report from this meeting that appears in the Special Issue. A highlight of this meeting was the presentation by the inaugural Burnstock Orator, Karen Dwyer, who gave an overview of the role of purinergic signalling, most notably the ecto-ATPase CD39, in kidney transplantation, with a corresponding article published in the Special Issue.

In keeping with the aim of the Australian and New Zealand Club, this Special Issue encouraged contributions from early- to mid-career researchers (EMCRs) and research students. To this end, Journal Club articles were welcomed. Based on their research interests in G-protein coupled heteromers, EMCRs Karen Gregory and Manuela Jörg review an original research article [3] that reported the design, synthesis, and pharmacological assessment of a novel bivalent ligand to study and visualise A2A receptor-dopamine D2 receptor heteromers. Continuing their interest in P2X7 receptors on blood cells, PhD student Peter Cuthbertson and supervisor Ronald Sluyter discuss an original research article [4] that identified p53 as a major mediator of P2rx7 gene expression in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in mice following irradiation. The study demonstrated that P2X7 receptor activation promotes haematopoietic dysfunction and failure following genotoxic stress. MD student Lanxin Li and supervisor Stephen Fuller review an original research article from another Australian team [5], which demonstrated a role for P2Y13 receptor activation in the release of interleukin-33 and high-mobility group box protein 1 from human and mouse airway epithelial cells following allergen exposure. The study also reported that blockade of this receptor could attenuate soluble and cellular mediators of acute and chronic asthma in mice.

In addition to the Burnstock Oration by Karen Dwyer, this Special Issue includes four other reviews. Phuc Trinh et al. outline the neuropathological changes in Alzheimer’s disease, then detail the roles of the adenosine A1 and A2A receptors in neuronal signalling and dementia. They conclude with an in-depth discussion of the therapeutic targeting of these receptors in Alzheimer’s disease, including allosteric ligands and receptor oligomers. This article appeared in the September 2022 issue of Purinergic Signalling [6]. Abbey Willcox et al. explain how purinergic signalling is disrupted in pulmonary arterial hypertension and the associated endothelial dysfunction, with a focus on the A2A and A2B receptors and CD39. Felix Bennetts et al. supply an overview of the structural biology and pharmacology of the P2X1 receptor and its therapeutic potential in male contraception, thrombosis, inflammation, and bladder dysfunction. Seunga Han et al. provide an overview regarding the development of compounds that target purinergic receptors and the translation of such compounds to the clinic. They also provide an in-depth review of the development and use of the P2Y2 receptor agonist, diquafosol, and the P2Y12 receptor antagonists, prasugrel and cangrelor, in clinical practice.

The Special Issue concludes with two original research articles. Rachael Bartlett et al. report that P2X7 receptor activation mediates the release of aggregated mutant superoxidase-1 from murine NSC-34 motor neurons. This released material can be transmitted to other NSC-34 motor neurons to induce endoplasmic stress or murine EOC13 microglia to induce tumour necrosis factor-α release. This article identifies a potential new role for the P2X7 receptor in the progression of motor neuron disease. Candace Drysdale et al. report that membrane fluidity is decreased in peripheral blood leukocytes in the late stages of age-related macular degeneration. This study provides new insights into the pathogenesis of this sensory disorder and suggests that the P2X7 receptor activation can increase membrane fluidity in human and mouse leukocytes regardless of P2X7-mediated pore formation or phagocytosis.

In closing, this Special Issue in Purinergic Signalling provides examples of the research topics investigated by members of the Australian and New Zealand Purine Club. We trust it will be of interest to the broader purine community and look forward to similar contributions from other Purine Clubs in the future.