On April 23 2025, Yorrick Jaspers of the Amsterdam UMC successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation entitled “Navigating the Lipidomic Landscape of Adrenoleukodystrophy” at the Agnietenkapel of the University of Amsterdam. [Click to read more ▼]
Yorrick’s work advances the diagnosis and understanding of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) by integrating targeted and comprehensive lipidomics. His research shows that analyzing LPC 26:0 is better than using traditional VLCFA measurement to diagnose ALD. It is faster, less labor-intensive, and more reliable, especially for women. Lipidomic profiling in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and cell models revealed that VLCFAs accumulate in distinct lipid classes, strongly correlating with disease severity in both sexes. This study identifies promising candidates and highlights the potential of advanced lipidomics and biobank resources for discovering future prognostic biomarkers and improving patient care.
We, the promotors Gajja Salomons, Marc Engelen and Stephan Kemp and the paranymphs Michel van Weeghel and Inge Dijkstra, would like to thank the members of the thesis committee: Annet Bosch, Anita Boelen, Judith Jans, Martin Giera,Troy Lund and Noam Zelcer for the inspiring and entertaining opposition.