IIT Madras Introduces India’s First Cancer Genome Database; Check Details Here

IIT Madras has launched India's first-ever cancer genome database, an initiative aimed at transforming cancer research in the country. Know details here

To address the gap in the genomic landscape of various cancers in India, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras launched the Cancer Genome Program in 2020. As part of this initiative, the program has completed whole exome sequencing of 960 samples from 480 breast cancer patients across the country. In collaboration with Karkinos Healthcare, Mumbai, the Chennai Breast Clinic, and the Cancer Research and Relief Trust, Chennai, IIT Madras analysed the data and compiled an anonymized summary of genetic variants found in Indian breast cancer samples.

The research was led by the Institute's Centre of Excellence in Cancer Genomics and Molecular Therapeutics, which received funding under the Government of India's 'Institutions of Eminence' initiative. Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, announced the completion of the Indian breast cancer genome sequencing and unveiled the 'Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas' (BCGA) on campus. The institute has made this groundbreaking database publicly accessible at bcga.iitm.ac, providing valuable resources for researchers and clinicians both in India and internationally.

Highlighting the benefits to not just India but the global research community from ‘Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas’, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “True to our ‘IITM for All’ commitment to society, we are releasing yet another health related data, the second this academic year, the Cancer Genome data after the Brain Data. We hope that this will provide deep insights on reasons leading to this deadly disease and help preventing the same with early interventions. The Atlas fills the gap in 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.”

Elaborating on this initiative, Project Coordinator Prof. S. Mahalingam, Head, Centre of Excellence on Cancer Genomics and Molecular Therapeutics, IIT Madras, said, “This database will be an invaluable resource to identify cancer-specific biomarkers in India, which will enable early detection of breast cancers. Further, it will also be very useful to identify novel drug targets for developing better treatment strategies specific to the Indian population.”

Further, Prof. S. Mahalingam, also a faculty in the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, added, “BCGA also aims to host data from researchers working on cancer genomics across cancer types and would be open to accepting submissions. The data will be utilized towards identifying biomarkers to identify high-risk groups, monitor cancer progression, design strategies for personalized treatment and understand treatment outcomes.”

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