IIT Madras launches first-of-its-kind cancer genome database to boost research

Innovations and Initiatives Innovations and Initiatives

Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-02-05 09:09:37 |

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 17

---

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras on Monday launched a first-of-its-kind cancer genome database to help research on the disease in the country. According to IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, despite having a high cancer incidence, India has been under-represented in global cancer genome studies. In the absence of genomic architecture of cancers prevalent in India, specific genetic variants from Indian cancers are not adequately captured and catalogued for any diagnostic kits and drug development. “In order to fill the gap in the genomic landscape for different cancers in India, IIT Madras initiated the cancer genome programme in 2020. Under this programme, 960 whole exome sequencing from 480 breast cancer patient tissue samples collected across the country has been completed.

“We are releasing yet another health-related data, the second this academic year, the cancer genome data after brain data. We hope that this will provide deep insights on reasons leading to this deadly disease and help prevent the same with early interventions,” he said.Kamakoti informed that Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas (BCGA) will fill the gap in the genomic landscape from different cancers in the country. “It provides a compendium of genetic variants representing the contemporary Indian breast cancer population to classify variants involved in early diagnostics, disease progression, and treatment outcomes,” he said.

IIT Madras in collaboration with Karkinos Healthcare, Mumbai, Chennai Breast Clinic and Cancer Research and Relief Trust, Chennai analysed the data and assembled the anonymised summary of genetic variants from Indian breast cancer samples.

Go!