Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Bugs4Urate (Bugs4Urate - Precision Nutrition Strategies for Investigating Probiotic, Diet, Glycan, and Microbiome Factors in Hyperuricemia and Gout Prevention)
Reporting period: 2024-09-01 to 2025-08-31
Gout and hyperuricemia affect millions of Europeans and are increasing among younger adults. These conditions arise from chronically high levels of uric acid in the blood, leading to inflammation, joint pain, and elevated risk of heart and kidney disease. Current treatments mainly rely on pharmaceuticals that can cause side effects and require lifelong use. At the same time, diet and gut microbiota are increasingly recognised as key factors influencing uric acid metabolism.
Bugs4Urate seeks to offer a safe, nutrition-based alternative by developing a precision nutrition strategy that combines beneficial bacteria (probiotics) with specific dietary fibres to reduce uric acid naturally. The project aims to understand how genetics, diet, and the gut microbiome interact to influence uric acid levels and to identify who benefits most from such interventions.
The project’s pathway to impact follows three steps: i) Scientific discovery – uncovering the microbiome and genetic drivers of uric acid metabolism. Ii) Technological development – designing a probiotic–fibre product with proven urate-lowering capacity. Iii) Clinical validation and translation – demonstrating safety and efficacy in human trials and preparing for market uptake.
This work supports key European strategies including Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, EU4Health, and Food 2030, by addressing metabolic diseases through preventive nutrition. If successful, Bugs4Urate could help reduce the burden of gout—estimated to affect over 5 million EU citizens—and provide a model for next-generation medical foods that bridge nutrition and medicine.
Bugs4Urate seeks to offer a safe, nutrition-based alternative by developing a precision nutrition strategy that combines beneficial bacteria (probiotics) with specific dietary fibres to reduce uric acid naturally. The project aims to understand how genetics, diet, and the gut microbiome interact to influence uric acid levels and to identify who benefits most from such interventions.
The project’s pathway to impact follows three steps: i) Scientific discovery – uncovering the microbiome and genetic drivers of uric acid metabolism. Ii) Technological development – designing a probiotic–fibre product with proven urate-lowering capacity. Iii) Clinical validation and translation – demonstrating safety and efficacy in human trials and preparing for market uptake.
This work supports key European strategies including Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, EU4Health, and Food 2030, by addressing metabolic diseases through preventive nutrition. If successful, Bugs4Urate could help reduce the burden of gout—estimated to affect over 5 million EU citizens—and provide a model for next-generation medical foods that bridge nutrition and medicine.
During the first year (September 2024–August 2025), the consortium established the scientific and technical foundations for clinical testing.
Data integration and modelling
Large-scale microbiome and genetic datasets were harmonised to build the first responder prediction algorithm for uric acid metabolism. This model integrates human genotype, microbiome composition, and dietary data, forming the basis for personalised nutrition approaches.
Probiotic strain optimisation
Two bacterial strains (BEO001A and BEO001B) with complementary abilities to inhibit uric acid production or degrade it directly were cultivated under food-grade conditions. Laboratory testing confirmed strong viability and enzyme activity after freeze-drying, demonstrating readiness for scale-up.
Fibre screening and synergy testing
Seven candidate fibres were evaluated using in-vitro and ex-vivo fermentation models mimicking the human colon. Among them, barley β-glucan showed the best combination of bacterial growth support, microbial activity, and urate reduction potential, and was chosen as the fibre component for the clinical study.
Clinical preparation
A proof-of-concept trial enrolling 99 hyperuricemic individuals was approved by Swedish authorities and registered on clinicaltrials.gov. Preparations for a complementary mode-of-action study in healthy adults were completed. The first batches of clinical product and stability tests are ready for deployment.
Project coordination
The consortium successfully set up data management and ethical oversight systems, signed material transfer agreements, and initiated participation in the EIC Precision Nutrition Portfolio to align methodologies and share best practices with other EU projects.
Data integration and modelling
Large-scale microbiome and genetic datasets were harmonised to build the first responder prediction algorithm for uric acid metabolism. This model integrates human genotype, microbiome composition, and dietary data, forming the basis for personalised nutrition approaches.
Probiotic strain optimisation
Two bacterial strains (BEO001A and BEO001B) with complementary abilities to inhibit uric acid production or degrade it directly were cultivated under food-grade conditions. Laboratory testing confirmed strong viability and enzyme activity after freeze-drying, demonstrating readiness for scale-up.
Fibre screening and synergy testing
Seven candidate fibres were evaluated using in-vitro and ex-vivo fermentation models mimicking the human colon. Among them, barley β-glucan showed the best combination of bacterial growth support, microbial activity, and urate reduction potential, and was chosen as the fibre component for the clinical study.
Clinical preparation
A proof-of-concept trial enrolling 99 hyperuricemic individuals was approved by Swedish authorities and registered on clinicaltrials.gov. Preparations for a complementary mode-of-action study in healthy adults were completed. The first batches of clinical product and stability tests are ready for deployment.
Project coordination
The consortium successfully set up data management and ethical oversight systems, signed material transfer agreements, and initiated participation in the EIC Precision Nutrition Portfolio to align methodologies and share best practices with other EU projects.
Bugs4Urate advances several scientific and technological frontiers:
Precision nutrition modelling
By integrating multi-omics data (genomics, microbiome, and diet), the project demonstrates the feasibility of predicting individual uric acid responses pioneering personalised dietary interventions in metabolic health.
Biotechnological innovation
The probiotic combination BEO001 represents a new generation of live biotherapeutic strains tailored to modulate urate metabolism through the gut. Its patent family, filed across the EU, US, China, and Japan, secures broad intellectual property protection and strengthens Europe’s innovation leadership in microbiome therapeutics.
Novel screening platform
The Copenhagen MiniGut fermentation system enables detailed testing of fibre–microbiome interactions under realistic intestinal conditions, reducing reliance on animal testing and accelerating translation to humans.
Foundations for clinical translation and market uptake
The project bridges food science and biotechnology by positioning the BEO001–barley β-glucan formulation as a medical food or functional supplement for urate control. To ensure future uptake, Bugs4Urate engages early with regulators and industry stakeholders to navigate the evolving framework for microbiome-based products.
Together, these results place the project at the forefront of microbiome-guided metabolic health interventions, expanding the scientific basis for preventive nutrition beyond traditional dietary advice.
Precision nutrition modelling
By integrating multi-omics data (genomics, microbiome, and diet), the project demonstrates the feasibility of predicting individual uric acid responses pioneering personalised dietary interventions in metabolic health.
Biotechnological innovation
The probiotic combination BEO001 represents a new generation of live biotherapeutic strains tailored to modulate urate metabolism through the gut. Its patent family, filed across the EU, US, China, and Japan, secures broad intellectual property protection and strengthens Europe’s innovation leadership in microbiome therapeutics.
Novel screening platform
The Copenhagen MiniGut fermentation system enables detailed testing of fibre–microbiome interactions under realistic intestinal conditions, reducing reliance on animal testing and accelerating translation to humans.
Foundations for clinical translation and market uptake
The project bridges food science and biotechnology by positioning the BEO001–barley β-glucan formulation as a medical food or functional supplement for urate control. To ensure future uptake, Bugs4Urate engages early with regulators and industry stakeholders to navigate the evolving framework for microbiome-based products.
Together, these results place the project at the forefront of microbiome-guided metabolic health interventions, expanding the scientific basis for preventive nutrition beyond traditional dietary advice.