IIIT Hyderabad and NIMS Collaborate to Create Pathology Datasets For Cancer and Kidney Research

IIIT Hyderabad and NIMS have collaborated to develop pathology datasets aimed at advancing research in cancer and kidney diseases.

In a significant step forward for India-centric clinical research and development, THE International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad, in collaboration with Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, has released publicly accessible datasets featuring digitized histopathological images of brain cancer and kidney disease (Lupus Nephritis).

As part of the initiative supported by iHub-Data, IIIT Hyderabad has installed a whole-slide digital scanner at NIMS, Hyderabad. "Traditionally, tissue samples and biopsies are viewed under a microscope, but by digitizing these slides, computers can visualize the images, enabling them to be shared across locations for collaborative diagnoses with other pathologists," says Prof. Vinod P.K, who is leading the curation of datasets for various cancers.

A foundational dataset on brain tumors has been curated, and efforts are ongoing to expand it to include other cancers, such as breast, lung, colorectal, oral, and cervical cancers. NIMS is actively contributing to the curation of the lung cancer dataset.

“The pathologist can’t see what are the underlying molecular changes happening at the DNA level which gets reflected in the tissue morphology,” says Prof. Vinod explaining that there’s a correlation between the DNA alterations and the morphological changes that are witnessed at the tissue level. Molecular profile details are traditionally obtained from genetic labs where such testing is done or by performing immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Prof. Vinod shares that a second whole-slide scanner system has been installed at the IIIT Hyderabad campus and is available for use by anyone interested. The scanner is currently being utilized by dental colleges and corporate hospitals. Additionally, the dataset itself serves as a valuable educational tool.

Looking ahead, Prof. Vinod reveals that many more datasets are in development, with the breast cancer dataset currently underway. “We are also working to involve additional collaborators. What makes this project unique is its India-specific focus. Until now, researchers have had to rely on datasets based on the U.S. population for histopathology studies. This is truly a pioneering effort for India.”

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