MuciRNA: Precision mucin profiling for a healthier mucosal barrier
A breakthrough biomarker platform from the University of Antwerp is redefining how complex diseases are diagnosed, monitored, and treated. By leveraging targeted mucin mRNA isoform sequencing, it enables precise disease characterization and supports diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy response prediction across inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gastric and colorectal cancers, and respiratory infections such as COVID-19.
Situation before
Mucus is not just a protective layer, it is a highly specialized hydrogel that lines and protects vital surfaces including the intestines, stomach, lungs, eyes, and urogenital tract. Central to its function are mucins, complex biomolecules that form and regulate this essential barrier.
Disruptions in mucin expression can compromise this barrier, leading to mucosal dysfunction. This breakdown is increasingly recognized as a key factor in the development of major diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gastrointestinal cancers, and respiratory conditions highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the complexity and global impact of these diseases, there is a critical need for more precise and effective treatment strategies. One promising approach lies in identifying disease-specific mucin signatures. By linking distinct mucin patterns to particular pathologies, it becomes possible to better understand disease progression and response to treatment.
This approach enables measurable insights into disease states and supports the development of targeted, personalized therapies. Rather than treating symptoms alone, these strategies aim to address the underlying biological mechanisms and restore proper barrier function.
Reframing mucus as a source of diagnostic and therapeutic insight opens new possibilities for advancing precision medicine and improving patient outcomes.
Technology
Mucins are highly complex biomolecules whose genetic variation can shape disease susceptibility. Differences in mucin genes generate distinct RNA isoforms—most with similar roles, but some that alter protein function and drive disease progression. Decoding this layer of biology unlocks a powerful new diagnostic opportunity.
Beyond tissue analysis, the platform also works with blood and stool samples, enabling non-invasive monitoring and improving patient accessibility.
Core offering:
- Targeted mucin isoform sequencing with region-specific GI panels
- Biomarker interpretation to guide drug development and personalized therapy
- Functional permeability testing in patient-derived organoids (in development)
- Flexible sample types, including biopsies, organoids, and blood
This solution enables patient stratification, therapy response tracking, and measurable mucosal healing as a biological endpoint.
By turning mucin complexity into actionable insights, this platform advances precision medicine and transforms disease management.
Partners we search for
We are actively seeking partners to further optimize and bring this technology to market.
IP position
The University of Antwerp has established a strong intellectual property portfolio underpinning this platform, supported by multiple patent families covering mucin biology and its clinical applications. The foundational patent (WO/2021/013479) protects the use of MUC1 and MUC13 mRNA isoforms as biomarkers for diseases linked to mucosal barrier dysfunction. A second patent family (WO/2022/003061) extends this approach to infectious disease, covering mucin expression and isoforms for the diagnosis, monitoring, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19.
Additional filings further broaden the scope and impact of technology. One patent family (WO2021053238) demonstrates how mucin mRNA expression in RSV-infected epithelial cells can predict disease severity in young children. The most recent family (WO2025/120137) maps the intestinal mucin isoform landscape, identifying specific panels associated with inflammation, IBD subtypes, and anatomical localization within the gastrointestinal tract.
Combined with deep scientific expertise and clinical capabilities at UAntwerp, this portfolio provides a robust foundation for continued validation, development, and commercialization.
About the researchers/research group
The Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics (LEMP) at the University of Antwerp is a multidisciplinary center integrating fundamental and (pre)clinical research, with seven divisions united around inflammation within the Infla-Med Center of Excellence. Led by Prof. Benedicte De Winter, an expert in gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction, motility, visceral pain, and immune responses in conditions such as IBD, IBS, and sepsis, and supported by Prof. A. Smet’s expertise in molecular microbiology, cell signaling, and omics, the team pioneers research into microbiome–mucin interactions driving mucosal barrier dysfunction in gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, including cancer, RSV, and COVID-19. Equipped with advanced molecular and cell culture facilities, next-generation sequencing platforms, and direct access to patient samples through collaboration with Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), LEMP provides a powerful translational research environment. Building on this foundation, the mucin research team has developed a high-throughput sequencing platform featuring unique mucin RNA isoform panels (MuciRNA), enabling in-depth mapping of mucosal barrier dysfunction across heterogeneous diseases such as IBD. By positioning the mucosal barrier as a central therapeutic target, this platform delivers actionable insights to accelerate drug development, assess treatment efficacy, and improve clinical outcomes.
More information
University of Antwerp
Valorisation Office
Middelheimlaan 1
2020 Antwerpen
