Immune response in canine periodontitis
How would you propose to investigate the immune mechanisms essential for disease progression of canine periodontal disease?
Elisabeth Ruzin
Senior Scientist Research
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
Call for proposals: All incoming answers accompanied by a collaboration proposal will be evaluated by a scientific jury, and, upon selection, chosen proposals are pursued through a joint collaboration with the successful applicants. Initial funding of up to 50,000 euros may become available for selected proposals based on novelty and originality.
More information
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health (BIAH) is committed to improving animal health and well-being. We believe that a better understanding of a disease's pathophysiology – in the context of this opnMe call, the key drivers of chronic inflammation in canine periodontitis - could lead to improved diagnostics and therapeutic options.
Canine periodontitis is a common oral disease in dogs, characterized by inflammation and destruction of the periodontal tissues, leading to tooth loss and potential systemic health implications.
The pathogenesis of periodontitis is a stepwise process happening at different speeds depending on the breed of dog, the individual dog, and the individual tooth, which highlights a complex interface with several loops of regulation1. Accumulation of food and its products derived from the metabolization by the oral microflora represents a constant challenge. The gingiva is confronted with a plethora of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) requiring an equilibrium between tolerance and defense. When the balance of natural homeostasis is lost and plaque accumulates excessively, dysbiosis represents a turning point which is answered by local inflammation2. The initial gingivitis is reversible, but the inflammatory processes eventually spread to the surrounding tissues in a self-perpetuating manner. Gingivitis represents the first stage of periodontitis and refers to the inflammation3 of the gum tissue, involving stratified squamous epithelium in the oral, sulcular and junctional epithelium, and connective tissue in the lamina propria. From a clinical point of view, gingivitis can start at a localized focus and then spread to a broader area around the complete gingival margin. Regardless of the area affected, many cellular and molecular mechanisms and pathways are involved, including epithelial and the different kinds of stromal cells, PAMPs, and an array of innate and adaptive immune cells. This mechanistic plethora may explain different temporal evolution patterns and the likelihood of persistence and expansion to neighboring tissues, i.e. progression from gingivitis to periodontitis, as well as transition from acute to chronic inflammation in the gingiva4.
In summary, as part of our efforts, we aim to identify the key drivers of chronic inflammation in canine periodontitis and invite proposals using ex vivo and/or in vitro approaches for well-defined projects that can be executed within 10 months.
Eligible solutions may cover, but are not limited to the following approaches:
- Immune cell and vascular interaction studies in the periodontal tissue, exploration of interfaces of the innate and adaptive immune systems, and investigations into tissue and immune cell types and activation status
- Investigations including scRNAseq or transcriptomics in combination with histology, e.g. spatial biology
- Investigation into the molecular temporal evolution of disease
- Proposals including dogs of different sizes are preferred (very small, small, medium and/or large), ideally more than one breed of dog per size should be represented
- Although dogs are the preferred species, cats may also be considered
- Proposals may include histological analyses, molecular studies or other appropriate investigations
- Proposals that solely or predominantly focus on microbiome shotgun metagenomics
- Proposals involving bulk RNAseq only
- Proposals investigating basic histology without functional subset analyses
- Projects based on technologies that require substantial establishing and validation (no previous hands-on experience) will be deprioritized. We value proposals that can be implemented quickly and efficiently, without the need for extensive preliminary work.
- Proposals that are primarily fee for service and do not include collaborative aspects
If your project is selected, you will have the opportunity to directly collaborate with the Oral Health Research team of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. You can expect appropriate funding for the prospective collaboration period. Your exact funding request should be outlined in your proposal. As a framework, we suggest that your funding request is structured in milestones and does not exceed 50,000 euros per submitted project in total.
Our collaboration agreement will provide full transparency about each partner’s rights & obligations (including intellectual property rights). As part of the agreement, you will be encouraged to publish following the collaboration agreement (to be negotiated in good faith).
We are seeking research collaboration proposals that contain:
- A well-structured proposal outlining a new and compelling scientific approach. This should include a clear and concise summary of the proposed research, a detailed description of the methods and analyses to be used, and a discussion of the expected results and their potential implications.
- The timeframe for completion of the hands-on work should be 10 months
- A novel approach to extend the knowledgebase in canine periodontal disease distinct from those previously published. This should be clearly stated and supported by a brief review of the relevant literature.
- An outline of the technical feasibility, and potentially existing data or previous publications that support feasibility / experience with outlined technology, based on existing techniques and established assays. This should demonstrate that the proposed research is practical and achievable.
- Your exact funding request should be outlined in your proposal based on a well-thought-through project. This should include a detailed budget outlining how the funds will be used. The funding request for the milestones should not exceed 50,000 euros per submitted project in total and should include both direct and indirect costs.
- Ability to implement the outlined solution as part of a scientific collaboration project with Boehringer Ingelheim including access to a laboratory.
- A proven track record in the required field(s) of expertise, e.g. Immunology and/or Veterinary/Animal Sciences. This could be demonstrated through previous publications, successful grant applications, or other.
Please use our answer submission template to provide a 2–3 pages non-confidential proposal (available for download here).
This should include a brief introduction, a detailed description of your proposed research, and a justification for your funding request. If confidential data exists that would strengthen the proposal, please indicate that information is available to share under a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA). If we find the non-confidential concept proposal sufficiently interesting, we will execute a CDA for confidential discussions.
We are currently seeking answers for the following scientific challenge: How would you propose to investigate the immune mechanisms essential for disease progression of canine periodontal disease?
All incoming answers accompanied by a collaboration proposal will be evaluated by a scientific jury, and, upon selection, chosen proposals are pursued through a joint collaboration with the successful applicants. Initial funding of up to 50,000 euros may become available for selected proposals based on novelty and originality.
We can only accept research proposals if they arrive by the submission deadline on May 21, 2025, 11.59 pm PST.
Evolving Paradigms in the Pathogenesis and Management of Periodontitis
Sahingur S. E.
Emerging Therapies in Periodontics. 2020, 1st edition, p. 3–12.
Human oral mucosa cell atlas reveals a stromal-neutrophil axis regulating tissue immunity
Williams D. W., Greenwell-Wild T., Brenchley L., Dutzan N., Overmiller A., Sawaya A. P., Webb S., Martin D., Hajishengallis G., Divaris K., Morasso M., Haniffa M., Moutsopoulos N. M.
Cell. 2021, 184(15):4090-4104.e15.
