24 April 2025
Translational biology can accelerate the development of effective therapies by combining insights from basic research with clinical observations. For instance, translational oncology aims to bridge the gap between basic science discoveries and clinical applications in cancer treatment. To achieve this, the development of novel primary human in vitro/ex vivo solid tumor-like models to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying myeloid/stromal interactions with translational biomarker readouts is crucial. These models should capture the diverse components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), emphasizing the interactions between stromal/myeloid cells and the tumor. Further, such in vitro/ex vivo models should be suitable for studying both single and combination therapies using techniques such as omics, cytokine analysis, and immunohistochemistry to discover actionable markers for translation including target engagement, mode of action-related, and patient selection biomarkers.
To investigate the molecular mechanisms of myeloid/stromal interaction in novel cellular solid tumor models for biomarker identification, we invite scientific experts to submit research proposals addressing the following question:
Using novel primary human culture models, how would you propose to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying myeloid/stromal interaction in solid tumors with the goal of identifying actionable translational biomarkers?
Scientists from the Oncology Translational Science group within the Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology Department at Boehringer Ingelheim will review the submitted proposals. If selected as a winner, your ideas will be pursued collaboratively, and you will receive funding of up to 200,000 euros annually over a course of maximum two years.
Submit your ideas now, as your proposals can only be accepted if they arrive by June 12, 2025, 11:59 pm PST.
No registration required
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About our opn2EXPERTS question:
Using novel primary human culture models, how would you propose to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying myeloid/stromal interaction in solid tumors with the goal of identifying actionable translational biomarkers?
With ambitious questions such as this, we share precisely formulated scientific questions with the research community as part of our opn2EXPERTS program. Together with winning teams, we intend to explore novel solutions for discovery research that will ultimately benefit the needs of patients.
About opnMe:
opnMe.com, the open innovation portal of Boehringer Ingelheim, fosters science and collaboration initiatives in areas of high unmet medical need. As part of our first pillar, the “Molecules to Order”, we share well-characterized tool compounds free of charge with no IP strings attached. These are complemented by “Molecules for Collaboration” where we offer access to unprecedented, often unpublished molecules, together with an attractive funding package. Interested scientists are invited to submit testable research hypotheses with these assets in novel diseases or combinations. With our “opn2EXPERTS” and “techMATCH” programs, we enlist scientific advice on key biologic issues to fuel further drug discovery and deliver novel solutions that benefit unmet patient needs. Learn more about our recent call to elucidate immune mechanisms in canine periodontal disease. Our current opn2TALENTS PostDoc grant for 3D-modelling and potency predictions, provides an opportunity for high-caliber talents to pitch their scientific approaches for well-defined research questions to conduct their research at our discovery research site Biberach, Germany.