Could 'designer mucus' be a medicine of the future?

Mucus coats the body’s internal surfaces, where it acts as a barrier against pathogens and a food source for friendly bacteria.
Its main constituents are mucins — proteins studded with sugar molecules in distinct patterns that determine how the mucus interacts with beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms.
Scientists have now created a cell-based platform for producing these mucins with specific properties to order.
Researchers could use the platform to develop mucin-based treatments for viral and bacterial infections.