Susan E. Leeman, PhD

Professor, Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics

Susan Leeman
617.638.4364
72 E. Concord St Building A

Biography

Dr. Susan Leeman is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, and the Director of the Neuropeptide Laboratory in the Pharmacology Department at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Leeman has been a Member of the National Academy of Sciences since 1991.

Dr. Leeman’s research focuses on the two peptides, substance P (SP) and neurotensin, that were isolated and chemically defined in this laboratory. Previous projects that are currently underway relating to the biochemistry and pharmacology of SP include studies to determine the binding domains of SP with its receptor using photoactivatable derivatives of SP containing the photoreactive amino acid benzoylphenlalanine; studies to determine the binding domains of an antagonist of SP, CP 96,345 using a photoactivatable derivative of this compound; the characterization of calcium signals generated by administration of SP to CHO cells transfected with mRNA encoding the full-length SP receptor; the roles of SP in several models of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract using non-peptide SP antagonists; a truncated form of the SP receptor and several mutant receptors. A new direction of research involves studies directed towards the chemical characterization and function of the carbohydrate moieties on the SP receptor.

Other Positions

  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Education

  • Radcliffe College, PhD
  • Radcliffe College, MA
  • Goucher College, BA

Publications

  • Published on 10/1/2023

    Alexander SPH, Christopoulos A, Davenport AP, Kelly E, Mathie AA, Peters JA, Veale EL, Armstrong JF, Faccenda E, Harding SD, Davies JA, Abbracchio MP, Abraham G, Agoulnik A, Alexander W, Al-Hosaini K, Bäck M, Baker JG, Barnes NM, Bathgate R, Beaulieu JM, Beck-Sickinger AG, Behrens M, Bernstein KE, Bettler B, Birdsall NJM, Blaho V, Boulay F, Bousquet C, Bräuner-Osborne H, Burnstock G, Caló G, Castaño JP, Catt KJ, Ceruti S, Chazot P, Chiang N, Chini B, Chun J, Cianciulli A, Civelli O, Clapp LH, Couture R, Cox HM, Csaba Z, Dahlgren C, Dent G, Douglas SD, Dournaud P, Eguchi S, Escher E, Filardo EJ, Fong T, Fumagalli M, Gainetdinov RR, Garelja ML, de Gasparo M, Gerard C, Gershengorn M, Gobeil F, Goodfriend TL, Goudet C, Grätz L, Gregory KJ, Gundlach AL, Hamann J, Hanson J, Hauger RL, Hay DL, Heinemann A, Herr D, Hollenberg MD, Holliday ND, Horiuchi M, Hoyer D, Hunyady L, Husain A, IJzerman AP, Inagami T, Jacobson KA, Jensen RT, Jockers R, Jonnalagadda D, Karnik S, Kaupmann K, Kemp J, Kennedy C, Kihara Y, Kitazawa T, Kozielewicz P, Kreienkamp HJ, Kukkonen JP, Langenhan T, Larhammar D, Leach K, Lecca D, Lee JD, Leeman SE, Leprince J, Li XX, Lolait SJ, Lupp A, Macrae R, Maguire J, Malfacini D, Mazella J, McArdle CA, Melmed S, Michel MC, Miller LJ, Mitolo V, Mouillac B, Müller CE, Murphy PM, Nahon JL, Ngo T, Norel X, Nyimanu D, O'Carroll AM, Offermanns S, Panaro MA, Parmentier M, Pertwee RG, Pin JP, Prossnitz ER, Quinn M, Ramachandran R, Ray M, Reinscheid RK, Rondard P, Rovati GE, Ruzza C, Sanger GJ, Schöneberg T, Schulte G, Schulz S, Segaloff DL, Serhan CN, Singh KD, Smith CM, Stoddart LA, Sugimoto Y, Summers R, Tan VP, Thal D, Thomas WW, Timmermans PBMWM, Tirupula K, Toll L, Tulipano G, Unal H, Unger T, Valant C, Vanderheyden P, Vaudry D, Vaudry H, Vilardaga JP, Walker CS, Wang JM, Ward DT, Wester HJ, Willars GB, Williams TL, Woodruff TM, Yao C, Ye RD. The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24: G protein-coupled receptors. Br J Pharmacol. 2023 Oct; 180 Suppl 2:S23-S144. PMID: 38123151.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 10/1/2021

    Alexander SP, Christopoulos A, Davenport AP, Kelly E, Mathie A, Peters JA, Veale EL, Armstrong JF, Faccenda E, Harding SD, Pawson AJ, Southan C, Davies JA, Abbracchio MP, Alexander W, Al-Hosaini K, Bäck M, Barnes NM, Bathgate R, Beaulieu JM, Bernstein KE, Bettler B, Birdsall NJM, Blaho V, Boulay F, Bousquet C, Bräuner-Osborne H, Burnstock G, Caló G, Castaño JP, Catt KJ, Ceruti S, Chazot P, Chiang N, Chini B, Chun J, Cianciulli A, Civelli O, Clapp LH, Couture R, Csaba Z, Dahlgren C, Dent G, Singh KD, Douglas SD, Dournaud P, Eguchi S, Escher E, Filardo EJ, Fong T, Fumagalli M, Gainetdinov RR, Gasparo M, Gerard C, Gershengorn M, Gobeil F, Goodfriend TL, Goudet C, Gregory KJ, Gundlach AL, Hamann J, Hanson J, Hauger RL, Hay DL, Heinemann A, Hollenberg MD, Holliday ND, Horiuchi M, Hoyer D, Hunyady L, Husain A, IJzerman AP, Inagami T, Jacobson KA, Jensen RT, Jockers R, Jonnalagadda D, Karnik S, Kaupmann K, Kemp J, Kennedy C, Kihara Y, Kitazawa T, Kozielewicz P, Kreienkamp HJ, Kukkonen JP, Langenhan T, Leach K, Lecca D, Lee JD, Leeman SE, Leprince J, Li XX, Williams TL, Lolait SJ, Lupp A, Macrae R, Maguire J, Mazella J, McArdle CA, Melmed S, Michel MC, Miller LJ, Mitolo V, Mouillac B, Müller CE, Murphy P, Nahon JL, Ngo T, Norel X, Nyimanu D, O'Carroll AM, Offermanns S, Panaro MA, Parmentier M, Pertwee RG, Pin JP, Prossnitz ER, Quinn M, Ramachandran R, Ray M, Reinscheid RK, Rondard P, Rovati GE, Ruzza C, Sanger GJ, Schöneberg T, Schulte G, Schulz S, Segaloff DL, Serhan CN, Stoddart LA, Sugimoto Y, Summers R, Tan VP, Thal D, Thomas WW, Timmermans PBMWM, Tirupula K, Tulipano G, Unal H, Unger T, Valant C, Vanderheyden P, Vaudry D, Vaudry H, Vilardaga JP, Walker CS, Wang JM, Ward DT, Wester HJ, Willars GB, Woodruff TM, Yao C, Ye RD. THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22: G protein-coupled receptors. Br J Pharmacol. 2021 Oct; 178 Suppl 1:S27-S156. PMID: 34529832.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 6/29/2020

    Tsilioni I, Pantazopoulos H, Conti P, Leeman SE, Theoharides TC. IL-38 inhibits microglial inflammatory mediators and is decreased in amygdala of children with autism spectrum disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 07 14; 117(28):16475-16480. PMID: 32601180.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 10/7/2019

    Tsilioni I, Patel AB, Pantazopoulos H, Berretta S, Conti P, Leeman SE, Theoharides TC. IL-37 is increased in brains of children with autism spectrum disorder and inhibits human microglia stimulated by neurotensin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 10 22; 116(43):21659-21665. PMID: 31591201.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 11/1/2018

    Theoharides TC, Leeman SE. Effect of IL-33 on de novo synthesized mediators from human mast cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019 01; 143(1):451. PMID: 30390921.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 9/19/2018

    Taracanova A, Tsilioni I, Conti P, Norwitz ER, Leeman SE, Theoharides TC. Substance P and IL-33 administered together stimulate a marked secretion of IL-1ß from human mast cells, inhibited by methoxyluteolin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 10 02; 115(40):E9381-E9390. PMID: 30232261.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 6/27/2018

    Douglas SD, Leeman SE. Is substance P a nasal epithelial neuropeptide? J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018 11; 142(5):1677. PMID: 29958676.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 11/6/2017

    Theoharides TC, Taracanova A, Tsilioni I, Conti P, Leeman SE. Reply to Fattori et al.: Action of SP and IL-33 on mast cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 11 21; 114(47):E10036. PMID: 29109296.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 5/1/2017

    Taracanova A, Alevizos M, Karagkouni A, Weng Z, Norwitz E, Conti P, Leeman SE, Theoharides TC. SP and IL-33 together markedly enhance TNF synthesis and secretion from human mast cells mediated by the interaction of their receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 05 16; 114(20):E4002-E4009. PMID: 28461492.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 9/23/2016

    Patel AB, Tsilioni I, Leeman SE, Theoharides TC. Neurotensin stimulates sortilin and mTOR in human microglia inhibitable by methoxyluteolin, a potential therapeutic target for autism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Nov 08; 113(45):E7049-E7058. PMID: 27663735.

    Read at: PubMed

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