MUC1 MUC13 Isoforms Targeting Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction
Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are inadequate, with no curative options and many patients requiring lifelong medication, and the mechanisms underlying intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction in IBD remain poorly understood, particularly the role of mucins like MUC1 and MUC13.
Innovation Solution
The use of MUC1 and MUC13 isoforms as biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring, and as therapeutic targets for treating gastrointestinal disorders, including IBD, through monoclonal antibodies or antisense technology, to address barrier dysfunction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current immunosuppressive treatments are used for IBD, then inflammation is suppressed, but treatment efficacy is insufficient and side effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and targets the specific pathological mechanism of barrier dysfunction by focusing on aberrantly expressed MUC1 and MUC13 isoforms, rather than using broad immunosuppression. This selective targeting removes the harmful side effects of non-specific immunosuppressive treatments while maintaining efficacy against the specific disease mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by targeting specific mucin isoforms (MUC1 and MUC13) that are aberrantly expressed in inflamed tissues, rather than affecting the entire immune system. This localized targeting ensures that treatment acts precisely where the disease mechanism exists, improving efficacy while reducing systemic side effects.
2Reliability
If broad immunosuppression is used to treat IBD, then inflammation is reduced, but treatment precision is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs local quality by specifically targeting aberrantly expressed MUC1 and MUC13 isoforms in inflamed tissues. This approach provides high treatment precision by distinguishing between healthy and diseased tissues based on the aberrant expression pattern, allowing precise intervention only where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes by detecting and targeting the altered expression levels of specific mucin isoforms. The aberrant expression pattern serves as a biomarker that changes in diseased versus healthy states, enabling precise identification and targeting of affected tissues for treatment.
3Ease of operation
If standard IBD treatments are applied, then general symptom management is achieved, but personalized treatment is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables personalized treatment by utilizing parameter changes in mucin isoform expression as diagnostic biomarkers. Different IBD subtypes and disease states exhibit distinct mucin expression patterns, allowing treatment to be tailored to the specific molecular profile of each patient's disease.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies segmentation by dividing IBD into distinct molecular subtypes based on mucin isoform expression patterns. This segmentation allows for personalized treatment strategies targeted at specific disease subtypes, improving adaptability while maintaining ease of operation through biomarker-based classification.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of mucin isoforms, more in particular for use in the diagnosis, monitoring, prevention and/or treatment of a disease characterized by barrier dysfunction, such as but not limited to a gastrointestinal disorder (e.g. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), cancer, gastro-intestinal infections, obesitas, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)), neurodegenerative disorders, respiratory infections, . . . In a specific embodiment, said mucin isoform is selected from the list comprising: MUC1 isoforms and MUC13 isoforms.