Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has established a pioneering cancer genome and tissue bank to develop therapies tailored to the genetic profiles of Indian patients, aiming to address the country’s rising cancer burden by focusing on treatments that reflect India-specific genetic variations rather than relying solely on Western data.
At the heart of the project is the National Cancer Tissue Biobank, which is collecting around 7,000 tumour samples from patients nationwide. Scientists are cultivating these cells in the laboratory to test potential therapies, allowing doctors to identify the most effective treatments for individual patients while reducing harmful side effects.
Early research has already uncovered a breast cancer mutation more prevalent among Indian patients than their Western counterparts, underscoring the need for region-specific genetic studies.
The IIT Madras team is also developing genetic panels and blood-based markers for pancreatic cancer, a disease that is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages. By integrating global datasets with Indian genetic information, researchers hope to establish reliable diagnostic tools for faster detection and improved survival rates.
Supporting this effort is the Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas (BCGA), a publicly accessible database containing genomic details of 480 breast cancer patients across India. This resource is expected to accelerate the creation of targeted diagnostic tools and therapies.
Backed by government funding and partnerships with healthcare providers such as Karkinos Healthcare and Chennai Breast Clinic, IIT Madras’s initiative promises to make personalised cancer treatment more affordable and accessible. Researchers believe these advances will transform cancer care in India, offering patients earlier diagnoses, more effective therapies and a higher quality of life.
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