Thomas Hansen
Chief Technology Officer Circio ASA
Dr Thomas Hansen has over 15 years’ experience in academic research. Before joining Circio he worked as assistant professor at Aarhus University where he led a research team focusing on RNA biology and bioinformatics. In 2011, Dr Hansen pioneered the discovery of circular RNA in human cells, and later in 2013 published the first functional characterization of circular RNA in Nature. Dr Hansen holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics from Aarhus University, Denmark.
Seminars
Thursday 28th May 2026
Panel: Contrasting Circular vs. Self-Amplifying RNA to Match Modalities to Use-Cases
9:00 am
- Weigh strengths and trade-offs in potency, durability, manufacturability, and safety to guide platform decisions
- Compare fit-for-purpose advantages across CAR-T, protein replacement, combination therapies, autoimmune, and CNS applications to reduce risk
- Define where each modality delivers a strategic edge and where constraints limit applicability for smarter portfolio planning
Thursday 28th May 2026
ircVec: A Circular RNA Vector–Driven Expression System for NextGeneration Cell and Gene Therapy
2:30 pm
- circVec, a novel gene expression platform developed by Circio, utilizes the high intra-cellular stability of circular RNA (up to 75 times longer half-life than mRNA) to achieve enhanced protein expression from viral and non-viral DNA vectors
- The low decay rate of circular RNA leads to high accumulation over time, particularly in specific tissues, such as heart, spleen, and eye, which enables safer and/or more effective gene and cell therapy in these areas
- Low accumulation of circRNA in hepatic tissue and overall lower stimulation of the UPR pathway compared to mRNA-based vectors suggest reduced tox and cellular stress upon systemic injection of circVec-based vectors
