PhD defence by Carl Frederik Halskou Haugaard

Utilizing Wireless Electroporation for the Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

Assessment Committee:
Associate professor Christina Caroline Plaschke, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Associate professor Thomas Kjærgaard, Aarhus University
Professor Maja Cemazar, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana

Supervisors:
Clinical Associate Professor Irene Wessel
Professor Richard Heller
Senior Researcher  Anders Elias Hansen,

Department:
Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme:
Surgical Sciences

Place:
Rigshospitalet, Room: Auditorium 1, Blegdamsvej, 2100 København Ø

Email address to gain access to the thesis: carl.frederik.halskou.haugaard@regionh.dk 
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.

Short description of the thesis:
Head and neck cancer remains a global health challenge, with current treatments often limited by invasiveness and systemic toxicity. This PhD explores Wireless Electroporation (WEP), a non-invasive technology that uses electromagnetic fields to temporarily open cell membranes, enabling targeted delivery of drugs and genes. The research demonstrates WEP’s potential to enhance the efficacy of therapies like bleomycin in vitro, while also highlighting its current limitations for gene delivery and in vivo applications. By addressing these challenges, WEP could pave the way for safer, more effective cancer treatments, offering new hope for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors.