Microbiotica unveils multiple mechanisms by which MB310 protects the intestinal barrier

Cambridge, UK – 6 May 2025: Microbiotica, a clinical-stage biopharma Company developing a pipeline of oral precision microbiome medicines called live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), has presented new data on the mechanism of action of MB310, its product in development as a treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC), at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 3rd – 6th May in San Diego.

The gut epithelial barrier is compromised in UC patients leading to an exaggerated inflammatory response. MB310 is an LBP comprising eight bacterial species associated with clinical benefit in UC when engrafted in the gut microbiome of patients following faecal microbiota transplant. Data from new preclinical studies presented at DDW demonstrated that three bacterial strains in MB310 enhance the epithelial barrier integrity by three distinct mechanisms: release of nicotinic acid; polyamine production; and expression of a novel protein IZOR (Internalin-like ZO1 Regulator). This is in addition to the previously reported data that demonstrates that the MB310 strains also modulate inflammatory and adaptive immune mechanisms central to UC pathology.

Mat Robinson, Microbiotica’s SVP Research, said:

These data begin to identify the different mechanisms by which an individual’s intestinal microbiome helps to maintain a healthy gut barrier. This is disrupted in UC patients, and we now know how MB310 can reverse this. We have previously shown that MB310 also modulates the other two key pathological drivers of UC, namely the inflammatory response and the adaptive immune system. MB310 uniquely has the potential to impact all the key drivers in UC through multiple mechanisms.

MB310 has been developed as an oral capsule, dosed once daily, containing a defined consortium of eight live gut commensal bacterial strains. It is designed to deliver long-term remission to UC patients, without immunosuppression or unwanted side effects. MB310 is in a Phase 1 study COMPOSER-1, with data readout expected by the end of 2025.