Catharina Margrethe Lerche

Associate professor
Education
PhD, MSc. Pharm
Work areas
Research
Telephone
Orcid ID
0000-0003-3653-6424
Current workplaces

Bispebjerg Hospital, Department of Dermatology
Nielsine Nielsens Vej 17, opg. 9, 2. floor D92
2400 Copenhagenn NV.
Denmark

University of Copenhagen Department of Pharmacy
Universitetsparken 2
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Denmark

Current research                                     

MSc in Pharmacy since 2004, PhD since 2010, associate professor since 2020 and currently working on my DMSc. I am linking the theoretical expertise and valuable analytical methods of the university and the clinical insight and patient access of the hospital. I have a broad experience within the field of skin cancer research, extending from work with cells and mice, to healthy volunteers and skin cancer patients.  I am PI on a skin cancer project involving mass spectrometry. Exploring new mass spec techniques for diagnostics of skin cancer and developing new methods to quantify DNA damage in the urine and melanin in the skin. In our in-vivo models, new skin cancer treatments are examined. Also photocarcinogenicity or photoprotective effects of various compounds are elucidated to investigate the possibility for systemic photoprotection.

Main interests

  • Prophylaxis, diagnostics and treatment of skin cancer
  • Quantification of DNA-damage in skin and urin
  • Quantification of melanin in the skin
  • Mass spectrometry imaging
  • Rapid evaporation ionization mass spec (REIMS)

Short description

Main supervisor for one master student, two PhD-programs, and two postdocs

Co-supervisor for four PhD programs (two completed) and one master student.

2019 – Present. Key member in SCIN CAG. Website: https://gchsp.dk

2015 – Present. Member of an animal welfare body steering committee, Danish Food and Veterinary Administration

2014 – Present. Chairman of Bispebjerg Hospitals Animal Care and Use Committee

Reviewer for international journals

PhD thesis

Title:
Photocarcinogenicity of selected topical dermatological drugs 
- Studies in hairless mice

Enrollment:
University of Copenhagen

Year:
2010

Publications

Wulf HC, Al-Chaer RN, Glud M, Philipsen PA, Lerche CM. A Skin Cancer Prophylaxis Study in Hairless Mice Using Methylene Blue, Riboflavin, and Methyl Aminolevulinate as Photosensitizing Agents in Photodynamic Therapy, Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 May 5;14(5):433.,

Hendel KK, Hansen ACN, Bik L, Bagger C, van Doorn M, Janfelt C, Olesen UF, Haedersdal M, Lerche CM, Bleomycin administered by laser-assisted drug delivery or intradermal needle-injection results in distinct biodistribution patterns in skin: in vivo investigations with mass spectrometry imaging, Drug deliv, 2021 Dec;28(1):1141-1149.

Lerche CM, Olsen P, Nissen CV, Philipsen PA, Wulf HC. A novel LC-MS/MS method to quantify eumelanin and pheomelanin and their relation to UVR sensitivity - A study on human skin biopsies. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2019:32(6):809-816.

Hendel KK, Bagger C, Olesen UH, Janfelt C, Hansen SH, Hædersdal M, Lerche CM. Fractional laser-assisted topical delivery of bleomycin quantified by LC-MS and visualized by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. Drug deliv. 2019:26(1):244-251.

Lerche CM, Togsverd-Bo K, Philipsen PA, Wulf HC. Impact of UVR Exposure Pattern on Squamous Cell Carcinoma-A Dose-Delivery and Dose-Response Study in Pigmented Hairless. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec 16;18(12):2738.

Publications and releases