Researchers are exploring technologies that will allow scientists to observe living cancer cells in real time to help them improve understanding of the disease and accelerate drug discovery.
Despite advances in genomics, artificial intelligence and precision medicine, scientists still rely heavily on studying cells after they have been chemically fixed or destroyed, providing only a static snapshot of an otherwise dynamic biological process.
Experts now believe that understanding how living cells behave in real time could become one of the next frontiers in biomedical research, particularly in oncology, where cancer cells continuously evolve, adapt and develop resistance to treatment.
Parmita Mishra, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based biotech start-up Precigenetics, said they are developing a technology platform that enables researchers to observe living cells continuously without dyes, labels or destructive sample preparation.
The approach combines Raman spectroscopy, photonics, microfluidics and computational biology to generate real-time biochemical information from living cells, described by the company as "live-cell cinema".
"Biology is constantly moving, yet for decades we have largely studied it through static snapshots. If we want to understand why cancer cells change, adapt or resist therapy, we need technologies that allow us to observe living biology continuously rather than after the fact. Our mission is to give researchers that capability," Mishra said.
Unlike conventional laboratory techniques that often require cells to be stained, fixed or broken apart before analysis, the platform seeks to monitor living biology continuously, allowing scientists to study cellular behaviour over time rather than relying on isolated end-point measurements.
Dr Shyam Aggarwal, chairperson, Department of Medical Oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, said real-time observation technologies could help researchers better understand how cells respond to candidate drugs and monitor subtle biochemical changes earlier during preclinical research.
"Real-time observation technologies could help researchers better understand how cells respond to candidate drugs, monitor subtle biochemical changes earlier, and potentially identify promising therapies more efficiently during preclinical research," he said.
"Understanding precision oncology with CGP (comprehensive genome profiling) and MRD (minimal residual disease) detection will help physicians improve targeted personalised medicine for cancer patients. While such technologies are not themselves treatments, they may strengthen the scientific foundation on which future therapies are developed," Dr Aggarwal said.
Cancer drug development remains one of the most difficult areas of pharmaceutical research, with a large proportion of oncology drug candidates entering clinical development ultimately failing before reaching patients.
Mishra, a solo woman founder leading a deep-tech biotech company, said her team has also developed a non-invasive sensor capable of detecting haemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease as a by-product of its core research.
The company has also engineered a microfluidic "organoid-on-chip" system designed to sustain living cells in a controlled environment over extended periods. Developed in collaboration with photonics engineers, the technology has resulted in a provisional patent application.
"We are not trying to replace scientists or physicians. We are trying to give them a better window into living biology," Mishra said.
"When researchers can continuously measure how cells behave instead of relying on biological 'autopsies,' they may uncover insights that were previously impossible to observe. That has implications far beyond cancer, extending into immunology, neuroscience, rare diseases and regenerative medicine," she said.