It is InteRNA's mission to translate new microRNA (miRNA) molecules and the miRNA discovery technologies into clinically and commercially successful products.

InteRNA Technologies B.V. was incorporated in 2006 and has established a close relationship with the research group of prof Edwin Cuppen of the Hubrecht Institute (Utrecht, the Netherlands), one of the world's leading scientific groups in the field of microRNA (miRNA) research. The Cuppen and Plasterk groups at the Hubrecht Institute have identified and patented a large number of new miRNA sequences, as well as the methods to identify these sequences and exploit their potential. These IP rights have been transferred to InteRNA Technologies to enable clinical and commercial development and furthermore provide a solid basis for the ongoing expansion of its patent portfolio.

InteRNA actively explores and exploits opportunities to apply its miRNA discovery and validation technologies and translate its miRNA research into successful therapeutic applications in the field of oncology and other major disease areas. Through the collaborative input of the Hubrecht Institute, InteRNA has access to the required expertise, facilities and resources for fast-track development of miRNA technologies.

To extract the full value from the large collection of patented miRNAs, InteRNA's efforts are directed towards biological validation of the miRNAs as a first step, followed by their functional validation. This first step is ongoing and entails profiling of human (diseased) tissue. It generally takes place in collaboration with research groups that have a serious interest in the role of miRNAs in their field of expertise and have access to clinical tissue samples. The results obtained in this first step form the basis for the selection of miRNAs that may be involved in a particular pathological condition and these are studied in functional assays.