Layers of meaning: the MRC’s second call for stratified medicine consortia

The Capturing the Potential of Stratified Medicine event was organised jointly by the Medical Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board on 30 October. Catie Lichten heard Des Walsh, the MRC’s head of infections and immunity, present the council’s second call to establish stratified medicine consortia. At the same time, he revealed what would make a strong proposal.

Stratified medicine is the name given to work to devise disease treatments that target specific biological mechanisms or patient populations. However, as Walsh explained, the MRC’s second call for research collaborations in this area does not offer any guidance on which specific diseases it wants to target.

The council has relaxed the rules of the first call, which discouraged teams from applying for support to study cancers. This important area of stratified medicine research can now be included, provided that applicants can show that their proposal aligns with the extensive work being carried out in this area by Cancer Research UK.