During his PhD studies, Henrik Pedersen have developed a number of single-domain antibodies, called nanobodies, which bind proteins of the complement system. The complement system is a part of the innate immune system and protects our body against infections as well as accumulation of dying cells. Excess activation of the complement system have furthermore been attributed a role in the development of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Schizophrenia as well as a number of non-neurological diseases. Henrik Pedersen have characterized nanobodies that bind the central components of the complement system and thereby prevent activation of the system.

The new research findings contribute new tools for studies of the complement system, which may spur the development of new diagnostic platforms or provide the starting point for development of new therapeutics.

The PhD study was completed at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Friday 20 November 2020 at 13:00
Place: The PhD defence will be held online. To receive a link to the event, please send an e-mail to programme secretary, Tina Stenshøj Kaysen, tist@au.dk 
Title of PhD thesis: Inhibition and detection of complement activity
Contact information: Henrik Pedersen, e-mail: HPE@mbg.au.dk, tel.: +45 60776087
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Daniel Ricklin, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland
Associate Professor Mikkel-Ole Skjødt, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Associate Professor Ditlev Egeskov Brodersen (chairman), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
Main supervisor:
Professor Gregers Rom Andersen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.

Due to the coronavirus situation, the PhD thesis will not be available for reading at the offices of the PhD administration. Instead, interested parties may send an e-mail to gradschool.nat@au.dk to receive a digital copy of the PhD thesis. Please note, it may in certain cases be necessary to make an individual arrangement to read the PhD thesis.