Cancer Cells: Beyond What The Eye Can See

Come with us as we take a look inside the lungs- before any tumours appear- to see how immune cells might be quietly preparing the ground for cancer to take hold. These cells, called neutrophils, squeeze through tiny lung capillaries, bumping into other immune cells and subtly changing their surroundings in ways we’re only just beginning to understand. To study this, we use a powerful microscope to film a thin slice of living lung tissue- essentially creating a time-lapse movie of cells moving and interacting in real time. What we see is surprising: the lung’s blood vessels can become packed with slow-moving neutrophils, like rush hour traffic on a busy motorway. When cancer cells eventually arrive, they may get caught up in this congestion making it easier for them to stop, stick around, and form new tumours.

A tumour is more than a cluster of rogue cells: it is a complex painting formed by catastrophic evolution. Until recently, researchers and clinicians had been forced to study tumours one microscopic brushstroke at a time. Today, modern imaging lets us see the entire canvas in vibrant, 50-colour detail, but this completely overwhelms human perception. AI can decipher this complexity, acting as a biological cartographer to interpret messy cellular landscapes. We will see how AI uncovers hidden patterns, allowing us to step back, observe the big picture and revolutionise cancer treatment.

Cells - in their trillions - make up our bodies. Their small size and seeming ordinariness disguises their true complexity: the humble cell is a triumph of evolution. Crucially, the malfunction of cells underlies all cancers. Using different kinds of microscopy, we'll discover what we can see inside cells, and what the limits are. We’ll also examine cells using the “lens” of evolution, exploring their most fundamental behaviours. As genes are conserved across biology, new insights can come from surprising places, advancing the difficult challenge of understanding cancer.