PERSIST-SEQ Video Series: Collaboration in Cancer Research on Therapeutic Resistance

The series takes viewers into the lab and across sectors—from pioneering academics to pharmaceutical leaders, technology developers, legal strategists, and consortium managers. Together, they explore how new models, technologies, and collaborations are unlocking the secrets of drug-tolerant persister cells: rare, dormant cancer cells that survive treatment and drive relapse.

Watch the whole interview series

We open with AstraZeneca’s Dr. Ultan McDermott, who sets the stage by explaining the clinical challenge of tumour resistance and the potential of studying persister cells to discover tomorrow’s drug targets. Building on this, Dr. René Bernards of the Netherlands Cancer Institute reflects on why drug-tolerant persister cells matter, and how years of translational research are finally opening new therapeutic avenues.  

To dig deeper into the biology of these cells, we hear from leading single-cell expert Prof. Alexander van Oudenaarden (Hubrecht Institute), who explains how single-cell sequencing can reveal cellular heterogeneity invisible to bulk approaches. That promise depends on consistent, streamlined approaches, and the team at Single Cell Discoveries shares how they’re helping standardise and scale these complex techniques across the consortium—turning a methodological challenge into a strength.

Reflection of the reality of the patient

Understanding drug resistance also requires models that reflect the reality of the patient. Enter the biobanks: Dr. Yasmine Abouleila from HUB Organoids describes how patient-derived organoids allow scientists to simulate tumour behaviour in a dish, and Dr. Hector Garcia Palmer (VHIO) demonstrates how xenografts bring that modelling into an in vivo setting to track resistance over time. Meanwhile, at Charles River, Dr. Julia Schüler walks us through the development of patient-derived xenografts (PDX), and how they’re being used to study non-small cell lung cancer within the consortium. 

But However, tumour cells don’t act alone. Prof. Eduard Batlle (IRB Barcelona) draws attention to the tumour microenvironment—the surrounding cells and immune contexture that can influence whether cancer survives or dies. For a more radical approach, Transgene’s Shreyansh Jain and Clara Fauveau explain how oncolytic viruses can be engineered to selectively kill resistant cells, offering a potential way to target the untreatable.

Making impact

Unraveling resistance is one thing—turning knowledge into impact is another. That’s where Dr. Mariangela Russo and Dr. Elisa Mariella (IFOM) come in, unpacking the concept of adaptive mutability and how cancers evolve under treatment pressure. From there, we zoom out to consider the strategic side: Ester Frische and Emil Pot from Oncode Institute reflect on how intellectual property, valorisation, and strategic alignment ensure that PERSIST-SEQ’s findings don’t just stay in academic papers—but create the steppingstones to move toward the clinic. 

Finally, to grasp how all this comes together, we go behind the scenes with Lygature’s Herman Verheij and Yoanna de Geus, who coordinate the project’s management and communication. They speak candidly about the value of collaboration, the complexity of public-private partnerships, and the need for clear and engaging science communication—especially when the stakes are so high. 

Across all 12 episodes, one message rings clear: tackling cancer drug resistance demands more than scientific excellence. It requires open collaboration, patient-centred approach, and the ability to communicate effectively across disciplines and sectors. The PERSIST-SEQ series offers a human glimpse into how that’s happening—now and for the future. 

Watch the whole interview series