Matthias Dierick has been awarded a Young Investigator Award from the WORLDSymposium committee for his work on developing next-generation replacement therapies for Fabry disease. The ceremony will take place in San Diego in February 2026. This prestigious event brings together leading experts in the field of lysosomal storage disorders, showcasing the latest advancements in research, treatment, and patient care. This research is part of the £14.25m Engineered Genetic Control Systems for Advanced Therapeutics Hub which is focused on developing game changing gene therapies to help treat or cure disease. Lysosomal storage diseases Matthias is a postdoctoral research associate in the Stracquadanio lab at The University of Edinburgh. The Stracquadanio lab develops next generation therapies for lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). LSDs are rare, inherited metabolic disorders causing life-threatening, progressive disease affecting many body systems. They are driven by enzyme deficiencies which cause toxic metabolite buildup Fabry Disease is the most common LSD and causes nerve pain, strokes, and progressive heart and kidney disease.They have remained difficult to cure through conventional drug discovery pipelines. Left to right: Giovanni Stracquadanio and Matthias Dierick Life Changing Therapies The convergence of AI and engineering biology is redefining how we approach complex genetic diseases.Many patients who rely on enzyme replacement treatments face major challenges because their immune systems recognize the therapeutic enzymes as foreign, reducing the treatment’s effectiveness. By combining artificial intelligence and cell-based screening, the goal is to design enzymes that are less likely to trigger immune responses, ultimately making these life-changing therapies safer and more effective for people with rare and chronic conditions. WORLDsymposium WORLDSymposium™ is an annual research conference dedicated to lysosomal diseases. WORLD is an acronym that stands for We’re Organizing Research on Lysosomal Diseases.Ten individuals were selected to receive the 2026 WORLDSymposium Young Investigator Award which is a partial scholarship towards attendance at the event on 4 February 2026. Related Links World Symposium 2026 Giovanni Stracquadanio Lab This article was published on 2025-11-14
