Dr. Jonas R. Henriksen, who holds a PhD in physical chemistry from the Technical University of Denmark, is making significant progress in the fields of drug delivery and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). His career began in biophysics, providing a strong scientific foundation before transitioning to drug delivery, where he has applied his expertise in physical chemistry. For over 15 years, he and his team have been working to develop creative ways to improve how medications are delivered in the body. He currently leads the Section of Cell and Drugs Technologies at the Technical University of Denmark.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is the lack of new antibiotics being developed.” – Jonas R. Henriksen
Henriksen is currently spearheading an antibiotic drug delivery project that is envisioned to yield encouraging results. This project is poised to use known antibiotics and improve their effectiveness by exploiting ion pairing, resulting in “subversions” of the antibiotic’s characteristics. This change is expected to not only broaden the antibiotic’s spectrum, but also to boost its permeability into cells and change its biological distribution, making it significantly more effective than existing standard therapies. This discovery represents a significant step forward in combating AMR, as existing antibiotics are increasingly ineffective due to resistance.
“With the PAR collaboration, we can explore and potentiate a range of antibiotics, improving their effectiveness for new applications.” – Jonas R. Henriksen
In collaboration with the PAR Foundation, Henriksen is working on further improving the efficacy of other antibiotics using similar principles. He envisions creating a library of antibiotics based on these groundbreaking principles and conducting in-vitro studies to observe their characteristics and effectiveness as well as in-vivo studies in pre-clinical models and test the ability to potentiate existing antibiotics. By enhancing the outcomes of existing drugs and developing new ones, Henriksen’s work holds the potential to combat the rise of resistant bacterial strains.
Henriksen’s research is particularly relevant in the current global context, where antimicrobial resistance is an escalating threat to public health. As bacteria evolve and develop resistance to standard antibiotics, the need for novel strategies like Henriksen’s becomes ever more urgent. His innovative approach not only promises to improve the efficacy of current antibiotics but could also lead to the discovery of new drugs capable of overcoming resistant bacteria, offering hope in the battle against AMR.
Dr. Jonas R. Henriksen’s work exemplifies the critical role that scientific innovation plays in addressing global health challenges. His dedication to improving drug delivery and combating antimicrobial resistance is paving the way for a new generation of treatments that could potentially save millions of lives worldwide.