SCALPEL: Cancer Research Needs Us All | World Cancer Research Day 2025

On World Cancer Research Day, SCALPEL highlights how collaboration across Europe drives breakthroughs in cancer research and future therapies.

Behind every treatment, there is research. Behind every new possibility, there is a story of collaboration, perseverance, and belief that science can transform lives. This year’s World Cancer Research Day reminds us of a simple truth: Cancer research needs us all. Patients, clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and investors. Every contribution matters.

At the heart of this collective effort is SCALPEL, a European Innovation Council funded project that is pioneering a next-generation cancer therapy. By merging the precision of photomedicine with the protective power of immunotherapy, SCALPEL aims to develop a light-activated treatment that targets solid tumours while stimulating the immune system to prevent recurrence. It is an ambitious vision and a potential paradigm shift in how we approach cancer.

The power of collaboration

SCALPEL thrives on diversity of expertise. Photobiologists, immunologists, chemists, and industry innovators are working side by side to translate scientific discovery into future therapies. This cross-disciplinary structure is more than a model for research, it is the core of innovation in Europe.

One of the partners in this effort is the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). As the first university established in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean, NKUA has a long legacy of excellence and leadership. Today it stands as Greece’s foremost academic and research institution, home to over 60,000 students, thousands of PhD candidates, and a vibrant research community of more than 7,000 scientists engaged annually across projects.

Driving discovery through chemistry

For Professor Georgios Vougioukalakis, SCALPEL’s Principal Investigator at NKUA, chemistry is both the foundation and the enabler of innovation.

“In SCALPEL, we harness the power of synthetic and materials chemistry to create the molecular tools that make this therapy possible. The antibodies, the chemical linkers, the dyes: all of these are built in our laboratory with precision. But what matters most is not the molecules themselves; it is the promise they hold for patients. Our work is one step in a much larger journey; one that connects science, medicine, and society in the fight against cancer.”

His words capture the essence of World Cancer Research Day: every element of research, no matter how technical or specialized, contributes to the possibility of a better future.

Why cancer research needs us all

Cancer remains one of the world’s greatest health challenges. Progress has been made, but it is fragile and uneven. Breakthroughs require not only scientific excellence but also the infrastructure, funding, and political will to carry them into society. That is why projects like SCALPEL matter. They do not exist in isolation. They are part of a broader European ecosystem that values collaboration, invests in bold ideas, and works tirelessly to translate discovery into impact.

World Cancer Research Day reminds us that this effort cannot fall on the shoulders of researchers alone. It calls on:

• Policymakers, to keep cancer research at the heart of public health agendas.
• Investors, to support innovation with the courage it requires.
• Researchers, to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
• Society, to recognize that every advance is born of years — sometimes decades — of unseen effort.

SCALPEL’s commitment

SCALPEL embodies the 2025 call that “Cancer research needs us all.” The project’s strength lies not only in its innovative science but in the network of people and institutions behind it. From the molecules designed in Athens to the clinical insights contributed across Europe, SCALPEL is more than a research project: it is a shared commitment to transform the future of cancer care. On this World Cancer Research Day, we remember that behind every treatment there is research — and behind every breakthrough there are people. Together, we can make the promise of tomorrow’s therapies a reality.