The BBC’s Jane Hill (top left) was joined by our expert panel of cancer researchers.
Behind the Science is an annual panel discussion providing supporters with an exclusive opportunity to hear directly from experts working in a specific area of our cutting-edge research portfolio. This year’s event took place virtually on Wednesday 12 May and posed the question: “From funding stream to blood stream: Is drug development moving fast enough?”
The BBC’s Jane Hill expertly guided the conversation, which centred on the involvement of our panel members in the development of PARP inhibitors, drugs that stop cancer cells from repairing themselves when damaged, causing them to die. They have been credited with transforming the treatment for people with a certain type of ovarian cancer and are in trials as a treatment for other types of cancer.
Professor Steve Jackson (Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge), Professor Ruth Plummer (Newcastle University) and Professor Simon Boulton (Francis Crick Institute) shared their fascinating stories and insight, which showcased the breadth and global impact of our science, and highlighted how collaboration and new technologies are continuing to drive things forward in cancer drug development. They noted that, although the pandemic has forced everyone to adapt, it has brought the importance of biomedical research to the fore and increased public interest in science.
The conversation was energising and inspiring, and demonstrated just how much we can achieve together in the fight against cancer.
Watch the recording:
– Alice Hilton, Philanthropy Communications and Events Executive at Cancer Research UK