16 February 2026
Harnessing patient-derived insights to shape disease-relevant models:
How opnMe helped advancing Crohn’s Disease and Systemic Sclerosis
Thursday, March 26, 2026
8:00 am PST | 11:00 am EST | 3:00 pm GMT | 4:00 pm CET
Duration: 60 minutes including interactive session
How can patient‑derived insights deepen our understanding of human biology and ultimately guide target discovery? Join our upcoming live online seminar to explore how opnMe has helped advance research in Crohn’s Disease and Systemic Sclerosis through collaborative academic partnerships.
Over the past years, opnMe has launched multiple calls for collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim’s Immunology and Respiratory discovery research department. In this seminar, you will hear how two winning proposals have led to innovative translational models that capture key disease mechanisms. Boehringer’s Jochen Schmitz will open the session with an overview of how opnMe supports immunology translational research and fosters productive academic-industry collaboration.
Next, Gianluca Matteoli of Leuven University will present his team’s findings on the interplay between stromal and myeloid cells that drives fibrosis in Crohn’s Disease, an emerging area with significant therapeutic potential1. This will be followed by Yulia Kiyan, of Hannover Medical School, who will introduce an innovative microfluidic microvascular niche on a chip and demonstrate how it is being used to model vascular damage in Systemic Sclerosis under physiologically relevant conditions.
Join us for this interactive seminar to connect with the scientists driving these discoveries, explore the power of open science, and find inspiration for your own research.
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About opnMe:
opnMe.com, the open science portal of Boehringer Ingelheim, fosters science and collaboration initiatives in areas of high unmet medical need. With our “opn2EXPERTS” program, we enlist scientific advice on key scientific topics to fuel further drug discovery and deliver novel solutions that benefit unmet patient needs.
About opnMe online seminars:
We invite you to watch the recordings of our past opnMe online seminars on the following topics:
- SOS1 inhibitor: How BI-3406 advanced cancer and diabetes research
- GR agonist: How BI 653048 impacted pancreatic cancer research
- opn2TALENTS: How opnMe is advancing scientific careers
- Optogenetics: Mapping new circuits to analyze neuronal networks in mental health
- CatC: Novel roles of Cathepsin C in human disease
- MMP-13 antagonist: Assessing MMP-13 functions in osteoarthritis and aortic aneurysm
- PROTAC ACBI1: Illuminating the role of SMARCA2/4 in childhood cancer
- BCL6 Degrader: Elucidating the mechanism of small molecule induced protein degradation
References:
- Ke B., Abdurahiman S., Biscu F., Zanella G., Dragoni G., Santhosh S., De Simone V., Zouzaf A., van Baarle L., Stakenborg M., Bosáková V., Van Rymenant Y., Verhulst E., Verstockt S., Klein E., Bislenghi G., Wolthuis A., Frič J., Breynaert C., D’Hoore A., Van der Veken P., De Meester I., Lovisa S., Hawinkels L.J.A.C., Verstockt B., De Hertogh G., Vermeire S., Matteoli G. Intercellular interaction between FAP+ fibroblasts and CD150+ inflammatory monocytes mediates fibrostenosis in Crohn's disease. J Clin Invest. 2024, Jul 23;134(16):e173835. DOI: 10.1172/JCI173835.