Lee A. Denson, MD
Title
Medical Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Appointment
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Bio
The primary focus of Dr. Lee A. Denson's laboratory is to determine the molecular basis for alterations in growth hormone signaling in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
Normal growth and development are dependent upon the ability of growth hormone to regulate IGF-1 expression. Evidence from studies in children with IBD and mouse models of colitis indicates that inflammatory cytokines which are up regulated in this setting may cause an acquired GH resistance. Consequences may include growth failure, altered body composition and impaired mucosal healing.
We are using complementary experimental and patient-based approaches to investigate regulation of growth hormone signaling in mouse models of colitis and in children with Crohn's disease. These include down regulation of the growth hormone receptor and up regulation of a family of post-receptor inhibitory proteins, the Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS). These studies should lead to the development of more effective therapies for children with IBD and other chronic inflammatory conditions.
Credentials
MD: Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1993
Residency: Pediatrics, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, 1993-96.
Certification: Pediatrics, 1996 & 2002.
Fellowship: Pediatric Gastroenterology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 1996-99.
Awards and Honors
- 1990: Medical College of Virginia A.D. Williams Medical Student Research Fellowship
- 1992: Alpha Omega Alpha
- 1992: Sidney Barham Scholarship
- 1993: Medical College of Virginia Eric Schelin Award in Obstetrics and Gynecology
- 1993: Medical College of Virginia Sutton Award in Pediatrics
- 1993: Medical College of Virginia Student Psychiatry Award
- 1996: M.Y. Krosnick Award in Pediatrics -- Yale Pediatric Resident of the Year
- 1999-2002: Yale Child Health Research Center Scholar
- 2000: World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology Young Investigator Travel Award
- 2001: North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition Young Faculty Investigator Award
- 2002: CDHNF / Nestle Nutrition Young Investigator Award
- 2004, 2005: Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Southwest Ohio Chapter Research Alliance Investigator Award
- 2004 Society for Pediatric Research
- Best Doctors in America, 2008
Publications, Most Recent
View Lee Denson's publications at Cincinnati Children's as listed by PubMed.
Denson, L., A Bohan, M. Held, and J. Boyer. Alterations in RARα:RXRα nuclear receptor abundance regulate rat Mrp2 (Abcc2) expression in obstructive cholestasis. 2002 Gastroenterology, 123:599-607.
Denson, L., M. Held, R. Menon, S. Frank, A. Parlow, and D. Arnold. Interleukin 6 inhibits hepatic growth hormone signaling via induction of Cis and Socs-3. 2003 Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 284:G646-G654.
Bohan, A., W. Chen, L. Denson, M. Held, and J. Boyer. TNF αdependent up-regulation of Lrh-1 and Mrp3(Abcc3) reduces liver injury in obstructive cholestasis. 2003 J. Biol. Chem., 278:36688-98.
Puppin, C., A. D'Élia, L. Pellizzari, D. Russo, F. Arturi, I. Presta, S. Filetti, C. Bogue, L. Denson, and G. Damante. Thyroid-specific transcription factors control Hex promoter activity. 2003 Nucleic Acids Research, 31:1845-1852.
Held, MA., W. Cosme-Blanco, LM. DiFedele, EL. Bonkowski, RK. Menon, and LA. Denson. Alterations in growth hormone receptor abundance regulate growth hormone signaling in murine obstructive cholestasis. 2005. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 288:G986-G993.
DiFedele, LM., J. He, EL. Bonkowski, X. Han, MA. Held, A. Bohan, RK. Menon, and LA. Denson. Tumor necrosis factor alpha blockade restores growth hormone signaling in murine colitis. 2005. Gastroenterology, 128:1278-91.
Han, X., D. Sosnowska, EL. Bonkowski, and LA. Denson. Growth hormone inhibits signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation and reduces disease activity in murine colitis. 2005. Gastroenterology, 129:185-203.
Professional Organization Memberships
Special Interests
Inflammatory bowel disease; growth failure; celiac disease
Presentations, Most Recent
2002 "Molecular mechanisms of inflammatory growth hormone resistance." Pediatric GI Visiting Young Investigator Series, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
2002 "Growth and puberty in IBD." Meet the Investigator Workshop, NASPGHAN Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
2002 "Mechanisms of inflammatory growth hormone resistance." Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Gastroenterology Research Conference, Cincinnati, OH.
2003 "Mechanisms of growth hormone resistance in experimental colitis." Mt. Sinai IBD Research Conference, New York, NY.
2003 "Growth failure in children with IBD." University of Alabama at Birmingham GI Grand Rounds, Birmingham, AL.
2003 "Mechanisms of growth failure in experimental colitis." NASPGHAN Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
2003 "Growth failure in Crohn's disease." Visiting Professor, University of Michigan Pediatric Endocrinology Section, Ann Arbor, MI.
2004 "Optimizing growth in children with IBD." CCFA Southwest Ohio Chapter Research Alliance Dinner Meeting, Cincinnati, OH.
2004 "Growth hormone reduces STAT3 activation and modulates apoptosis in colitis". Charles H. Hood Foundation Investigators' Meeting, Boston, MA.
Professional Activities
- 2000-present Ad hoc reviewer: Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Journal of Investigative Medicine, American Journal of Physiology, Laboratory Investigation, Journal of Hepatology, FEBS Letters, Molecular & Cellular Biology, Human & Experimental Toxicology.
- 2000 Ad hoc reviewer, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of External Merit Reviews.
- 2001-2002 Research Mentor, Yale Biomedical Science Training and Enrichment Program
- 2001-2003 Delegate, Growth, Development & Aging Section (GDA), American Gastroenterological Association.
- 2002 Chair, GDA Clinical Symposium: "The use of growth hormone and other trophic factors in short bowel syndrome and Crohns disease." Digestive Diseases Week, San Francisco, CA.
- 2003 & 2005 DDW Growth, Development & Aging Section Abstract Review Committee: Mucosal Growth Factors & Receptors
- 2003-present Councilor, GDA Section, American Gastroenterological Association.
- 2004 World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Abstract Review Committee: Colon - IBD.
- 2004 Chair, GDA Research Symposium: "Mechanisms of intestinal injury & repair." Digestive Diseases Week, New Orleans, LA.
- 2004-present Associate Fellowship Program Director for Research, CCHMC Gastroenterology Division
Related Areas
This person works in these other areas at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical
Center:
