Cancer Connections

Can we finally treat one of the deadliest forms of cancer?

Parker Moss sits down with Steve Pollard, Professor of Stem Cell and Cancer Biology at the University of Edinburgh and CSO of Trogenix, to explore why glioblastoma has remained one of medicine’s toughest challenges.

Steve explains why brain cancer has resisted decades of drug development, from its remarkable ability to evolve and evade treatment to the barriers posed by the brain itself. Drawing on a career that began in development biology, he reflects on why understanding these failures is essential to finding the next breakthrough.

Together, Parker and Steve discuss the science behind Trogenix’s first-in-human gene therapy trial, a bold new approach that aims not only to eliminate the tumour but also to establish long-term immune memory that could prevent recurrence, and what it takes to translate an academic discovery into a clinical-stage company.

Could a simple blood test revolutionise lung cancer care?

Parker Moss sits down with Professor Sanjay Popat, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Chief Medical Officer at The Royal Marsden and Professor of Thoracic Oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, to explore the breakthroughs transforming lung cancer care.

Sanjay discusses how precision medicine, targeted therapies and liquid biopsies are reshaping the patient journey, highlighting the role of the NHS as the first national health service to diagnose lung cancer using liquid biopsies. He also explores the promise of circulating tumour DNA and the future of blood-based cancer detection, and how early diagnosis remains one of the biggest opportunities in cancer care.

Together, Parker and Sanjay discuss how research, innovation and collaboration have driven progress in lung cancer, and what the next generation of technologies, from personalised cancer vaccines to T-cell engagers, could mean for patients.

Have cancer vaccines finally had their breakthrough moment?

Parker Moss sits down with Lennard Lee, Consultant Medical Oncologist at the University of Oxford and one of the UK’s leading voices in AI and cancer vaccines, to explore the breakthroughs and setbacks in cancer vaccine trials that made headlines this summer.

From Moderna and Merck’s landmark Phase III melanoma vaccine results to BioNTech’s decision to halt its Phase II colorectal cancer vaccine trial, what do these developments mean for the field, and what comes next?

Together, Parker and Lennard discuss how AI, supercomputing, and genomics are transforming vaccine design, the challenges of validating personalised medicines, and why the NHS could play a leading role in bringing personalised cancer vaccines to patients at scale.

What if we could stop cancer before it starts?

Parker Moss sits down with Sarah Blagden, Professor of Experimental Oncology at the University of Oxford, to explore a new approach to cancer prevention.

Sarah began her career at the bedside treating patients with ovarian cancer. Realising that the breakthrough she hoped for was not coming, she took matters into her own hands, embarking on a journey through basic biology, clinical trials, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, she became convinced that the next frontier in oncology is preventing cancer, not curing it.

Parker and Sarah delve into the science behind precision prevention, from the hidden biology of pre-cancer to the immune mechanisms that keep early cancers in check. Bringing that science into practice, Sarah shares the challenges of building a biotech focused on prevention, the search for the cancer equivalent of LDL cholesterol, and how vaccines could one day train our immune system to eliminate precancerous cells before they develop into cancer.

How does a preclinical UK biotech get acquired for up to $1.5 billion by one of pharma’s giants?

Parker Moss sits down with Jonathan Tobin, a science-driven investor that heads up the London office of Brandon Capital, to answer that very question. Jonathan takes us inside the scientific experiments, investment decisions, and strategic pivots that saw Myricx Bio transform from a small, single-asset biotech into a platform-based antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) pioneer, ultimately attracting the attention of Novartis.

Parker and Jonathan unpack the science behind Myricx Bio, from the biology of N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) to the fundamentals of the ADC trinity: antibody, payload, linker. They also look to the future of ADCs and explore where Jonathan believes the next breakthrough in cancer therapy will come from. Spoiler alert: it’s in vivo CAR-T.

How does a discovery scientist become a two-time biotech founder?

In the inaugural episode of Cancer Connections, Parker Moss sits down with Dr Simon Boulton, a world-renowned scientist whose work in DNA damage repair and telomere maintenance has transformed our understanding of how cancer develops—and how we can better treat it.

Although a research scientist by training, Simon recognised the therapeutic potential of his discoveries and went on to co-found Artios Pharma and, more recently, launch ALTx Therapeutics, taking breakthrough research from the lab towards meaningful patient impact.

Together, they explore what motivates someone to take that leap from academia into entrepreneurship, the importance of the people you work with, learn from, and build alongside, and what it really takes to translate cutting-edge science into new medicines for patients.

Before the conversations begin, meet the voice behind Cancer Connections.

In this trailer episode, host Parker Moss shares the personal and professional journey that led him into cancer innovation. From a career in technology and venture capital to a deeply personal experience with childhood cancer, Parker reflects on the experiences that shaped his commitment to improving outcomes for patients with cancer.

He discusses the breakthroughs in cancer research that have him most excited, why collaboration across science, medicine, industry and investment is crucial to turning discoveries into patient benefit, and what he hopes to uncover through conversations with members of the Cancer Research Horizons Expert Network.

Because, as Parker says, “it really takes a village to bring a cancer drug to market.”