31 August 2026
As a highly heterogeneous disease encompassing multiple molecular subtypes and histological presentations, lung cancer presents significant challenges for therapeutic intervention. While immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have transformed treatment outcomes for many patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), durable responses remain limited. A substantial proportion of patients either fail to respond or develop acquired resistance following an initial clinical benefit.
To overcome this challenge, improved preclinical models are urgently needed to bridge the translational gap between experimental systems and clinical outcomes, enabling a deeper understanding of resistance mechanisms and the identification of novel therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Through this opn2EXPERTS call on opnMe, we invite researchers to submit innovative proposals addressing the following question:
How would you propose to develop novel models that bridge the translational gap between preclinical disease models and clinical outcomes in immune checkpoint blockade resistant lung cancer?
We are particularly interested in approaches that:
- Develop or apply clinically relevant models of acquired PD-1/PD-L1 resistance, including mechanisms driven by tumor-intrinsic pathways and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
- Leverage innovative experimental platforms, such as orthotopic models, GEMMs, humanized PDXs, patient-derived organoids, lung-on-a-chip systems, or precision-cut lung slices.
- Combine advanced characterization technologies and translational validation to uncover novel resistance mechanisms and therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Selected proposals will have the opportunity to collaborate with Boehringer Ingelheim's Oncology Research team and receive milestone-based funding. Funding requests for the initial project phase resulting in a Go/No-Go decision should not exceed €300,000 per project. Alternative budget arrangements may be considered depending on the maturity and validation status of the proposed model.
Submit your proposal now. Proposals will only be accepted if received through October 15, 2026, 11:59 pm PST.
No registration required
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About our opn2EXPERTS question:
How would you propose to develop novel models that bridge the translational gap between preclinical disease models and clinical outcomes in ICB-resistant lung cancer? With ambitious questions such as this, we share precisely formulated scientific challenges with the research community as part of our opn2EXPERTS program. Together with selected teams, we intend to explore novel solutions for discovery research that will ultimately benefit the needs of patients.
About opnMe:
opnMe.com, the open science portal of Boehringer Ingelheim, fosters science and collaboration initiatives in areas of high unmet medical need. Our molecules are provided to the scientific community either free of charge as “Molecules to Order” or applied for via scientific research submissions as “Molecules for Collaboration”. With “opn2EXPERTS” and “techMATCH”, we engage the scientific community to address key research challenges, fuel drug discovery, and develop innovative solutions for patients with unmet medical needs. Our "opn2TALENTS" postdoc grants at one of our research sites offer opportunities for high-level talents to propose innovative approaches for precisely defined scientific questions.