The War Room

Can a blood draw reveal not just fragments of a tumour, but the live cells that may signal how cancer is changing? In The War Room, Mohan Utawar of OneCell.ai lays out his case for “cell biopsy”: capturing rare circulating tumour cells, then combining single-cell DNA, RNA and protein analysis with cell imaging and AI.

The conversation begins with the burden of invasive tissue sampling and the promise and limitations of conventional liquid biopsy. Utawar explains why DNA fragments alone may not offer a complete view of an evolving tumour, and why turning biological complexity into a useful clinical report is the real test.

He describes OncoInsight, a blood-based assay that pairs a 1,080-gene ctDNA panel with CTC analysis, and discusses how integrated results could support trial enrolment, response monitoring and resistance assessment. The episode also examines the route from technical claim to clinical validation, regulation and reimbursement, while keeping treatment decisions with oncologists.

At stake is a patient-facing ambition: more adaptive, less invasive and more accessible precision oncology, including earlier signals of recurrence or treatment change.

Circulating tumour cells can be extraordinarily hard to find—Mohan Utawar describes the task as locating roughly one cancer cell among a billion. In this episode of The War Room, he makes the case that those rare, intact cells could offer a more adaptive view of cancer than a static tissue sample or a blood test focused only on fragments of tumour DNA.

Utawar traces the progression from tissue biopsy to liquid biopsy and what he calls “cell biopsy”: capturing live circulating tumour cells, imaging them, and examining DNA, RNA and proteins at the single-cell level. He explains why multi-omics needs AI to connect its many signals, and why cancer’s evolution can make fixed baseline panels insufficient for treatment monitoring.

The conversation also unpacks OneCell’s OncoInsight assay, which combines ctDNA and CTC analysis in an integrated report. Utawar discusses its proposed role in biopharma trials—from patient selection to earlier signals of response—alongside the validation, regulatory, reimbursement and laboratory-partnership work needed before broader adoption. At stake is an ambitious goal: a less invasive, more accessible way to follow recurrence and changing treatment response.

Mohan Utawar argues that combining circulating-tumor-cell analysis, multi-omics, and AI could make precision oncology mo

Can a blood draw reveal more than a cancer’s DNA? In this episode of The War Room, Mohan Utawar, CEO of OneCell.ai, explains his case for a “cell biopsy”: capturing the rare intact tumour cells circulating in blood and studying them alongside circulating tumour DNA.

He traces the shift from invasive tissue sampling to liquid biopsy, then argues that a single molecular snapshot cannot keep pace with an evolving cancer. The conversation examines why morphology, DNA, RNA and proteins may need to be read together—and why AI is central to correlating those signals into a report clinicians can use.

Utawar also unpacks OncoInsight, OneCell.ai’s combined ctDNA and circulating-tumour-cell assay, and the proposed role for such tools in biopharma trials: matching patients to treatments, ruling out poor fits, and spotting response or resistance sooner. Finally, he outlines the validation, regulatory, reimbursement and laboratory-partnership path behind a broader ambition: more accessible, less invasive precision-oncology monitoring.

What can a blood draw reveal when cancer changes faster than the next scan? In this episode of The War Room, Mohan Utawar examines the limits of tissue biopsy and DNA-only liquid biopsy, and sets out the case for “cell biopsy”: isolating intact circulating tumour cells from blood.

He explains why those rare cells matter in metastasis and recurrence, and why a tumour may look different when viewed through DNA, RNA, proteins and cell morphology together. The conversation follows OneCell.ai’s OncoInsight assay, which combines ctDNA reporting with single-cell CTC analysis and uses AI to connect complex molecular signals with possible treatment options.

Utawar also explores what earlier molecular information could mean for biomarker-led clinical trials: selecting—and deselecting—participants before treatment, then looking for response or resistance in weeks rather than waiting months for imaging. He addresses the harder path from laboratory capability to patient access, including validation, regulation, reimbursement and partnerships. At its centre is a high-stakes ambition: a simpler, more affordable blood test that could help clinicians detect changing disease and recurrence earlier.

What does it take to turn a healthy snack from a confusing substitute for chocolate into a category people seek out? In this episode of The War Room, an entrepreneur follows that question from a childhood near Nagpur, shaped by farming and limited infrastructure, through an improbable detour into computer science and software products.

Returning to consumer business with Stevia, he saw a chance to link a natural sweetener to better farmer incomes. An approval roadblock stopped that plan. The next attempt, RightBite, exposed a different problem: a low-priced calcium bar could not persuade children expecting chocolate or retailers wary of an unfamiliar product.

He explains how listening harder to consumers shifted the company toward explicit functional benefits, then to a 20-gram Max Protein bar and a broader view of healthy snacking built around protein, fibre, fullness and sustained energy. He also shares why, after building the business to ₹160–170 crore, the completed Zydus Wellness partnership became the route to a far larger category-building ambition.

Cancer rarely stands still. Tumours evolve, treatments lose force, and recurrence can emerge long after an apparently reassuring scan. In this episode of The War Room, Mohan Utawar, co-founder and CEO of OneCell.ai, examines whether a more adaptive view of cancer can begin with a blood draw.

Utawar traces the path from invasive tissue biopsy to liquid biopsy, then makes the case for “cell biopsy”: isolating the exceptionally rare circulating tumour cells that may seed metastasis. He explains why finding those cells is only the first challenge. The larger task, he argues, is turning their morphology, surface markers, DNA, RNA, and protein signals into information that clinicians and trial teams can act on.

The conversation explores OneCell.ai’s OncoInsight assay, its combined ctDNA and live single-cell analysis, and the role AI could play in interpreting complex multiomics data. Utawar also discusses a biopharma-first route through clinical studies, companion diagnostics, validation, and reimbursement. At stake is a longer-term ambition: more affordable, minimally invasive monitoring that could help cancer care respond to change sooner.

One circulating tumour cell can be hidden among roughly a billion cells in blood. In this episode of The War Room, Mohan Utawar examines why finding that cell—and understanding what it means—could reshape precision cancer monitoring.

He traces the path from tissue biopsy and cell-free tumour DNA to “cell biopsy,” an approach centred on capturing live circulating tumour cells. The conversation explores how imaging, sequencing and multiomic analysis might combine DNA, RNA, proteins and cell features into a more useful picture of a cancer that continues to evolve.

The central question is not simply whether a signal can be detected. It is whether clinicians and trial teams can use it to judge therapy response, reconsider treatment and make better enrolment decisions before conventional imaging catches up. Mohan explains how OneCell.ai’s OncoInsight assay is intended to unite ctDNA and single-cell CTC analysis, and discusses the validation, regulatory, reimbursement and laboratory partnerships required to bring such tools into practice.

The episode closes on a larger ambition: earlier, minimally invasive and more affordable monitoring for people living beyond cancer treatment.

What can a blood draw reveal that a tissue biopsy cannot? In this episode of The War Room, the guest examines a proposed shift in precision oncology: from invasive tissue sampling and cell-free DNA to a “cell biopsy” built around intact circulating tumour cells. He explains why ctDNA remains useful but incomplete, and why rare tumour cells—described as fugitives on the run—may offer a more revealing starting point for cancer monitoring. The conversation traces OneCell.ai’s case for capturing live single cells, reading them alongside ctDNA, and combining DNA, RNA, targeted proteins, imaging and other molecular signals with AI. The question is not simply whether a signal can be found, but whether it can help clinicians judge treatment response, resistance and a cancer’s evolution over time. It also considers the realities of translation: laboratory deployment, biopharma studies, companion-diagnostic pathways, validation and reimbursement. The episode closes on the guest’s ambition to detect recurrence earlier through a simple blood draw and make actionable, affordable precision oncology more widely available to cancer survivors worldwide.

How much can a blood draw reveal about a cancer that is changing in real time? Mohan Utawar makes the case for looking beyond fragments of tumour DNA and toward the rare circulating tumour cells that may help drive recurrence and metastasis.

He traces the path from invasive tissue biopsy to liquid biopsy, explaining why ctDNA can offer a useful but partial signal. The conversation then examines OneCell.ai’s proposed “cell biopsy” approach: capturing live tumour cells from blood and analysing their DNA, RNA, proteins, morphology and other features with AI-assisted interpretation.

Utawar describes OncoInsight’s combined ctDNA and single-cell workflow, and addresses the harder question behind any result: what should clinicians and trial teams do next? He discusses longitudinal monitoring, molecular patient selection, treatment resistance, evidence-informed reporting, and the oncologist’s continuing responsibility for treatment decisions.

The episode also considers validation, regulatory and reimbursement paths, and a cautious longer-term ambition: detecting change and possible recurrence earlier, with a minimally invasive test that could make precision oncology more adaptive and accessible.