Nucleome Therapeutics has strengthened its intellectual property portfolio after the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent covering the company’s core Micro Capture-C (MCC) technology, which underpins its 3D genomics platform for drug discovery.

The newly issued patent protects the process used to produce chromatin conformation capture libraries, a key component of MCC technology. Exclusively licensed to Nucleome by the University of Oxford, MCC enables researchers to study three-dimensional interactions within the genome that influence gene regulation and disease.

Most genetic variants associated with human disease are found in non-coding regions of DNA, where they influence how genes are switched on and off rather than altering the genes themselves. By mapping these three-dimensional interactions, Nucleome aims to identify novel therapeutic targets that may not be detected through DNA sequencing alone.

The company is applying its platform to discover antibody targets for inflammatory diseases and is advancing its lead programme, NTP464, a monoclonal antibody agonist for inflammation resolution, through IND-enabling studies.

Mark Bodmer, chief executive officer of Nucleome Therapeutics, said: “Most drugs fail in development because we lack enough understanding of the molecular biology of human disease. MCC is the core of a lab + AI capability that can finally unlock the mystery of how non-coding genetic variations can guide selection of drug targets with a high probability of clinical success.”

The patent forms part of Nucleome’s wider global intellectual property strategy covering advances in 3D genomics technology and its application to therapeutic discovery.

Interest in regulatory genomics has grown significantly as researchers seek to understand how disease-associated genetic variants influence gene activity rather than protein-coding sequences. Technologies capable of mapping chromatin interactions are increasingly being used to identify new therapeutic targets across a range of diseases, particularly where conventional genomic analysis has provided limited answers.

By strengthening protection around its core platform technology, Nucleome aims to support the continued development of its discovery programmes while expanding the application of 3D genomics to future therapeutic targets.