A bold step toward Indian precision medicine
In a landmark move for cancer research in India, IIT-Madras has launched a cancer genome and tissue bank that promises to accelerate precision oncology. The National Cancer Tissue Biobank at IIT-Madras is gathering and studying tumor samples to tailor therapies to the genetic makeup of Indian patients, addressing a long-standing gap where Western data often falls short for local populations.
How the bank works and what it means for patients
Researchers aim to collect about 7,000 tumor samples from cancer patients across the country. These samples are grown in lab cultures to test a spectrum of therapies, allowing clinicians to identify the most effective treatment options for individual patients before they undergo therapy. This upfront testing has the potential to reduce unnecessary treatments, minimize adverse effects, and improve overall outcomes by harnessing patient-specific genomic information.
A notable early finding from the IIT-Madras team is a breast cancer mutation that appears more prevalent among Indian patients than in Western populations. This underscores the risk of relying solely on Western genetic data when designing treatments for Indian patients and highlights the need for India-centric genetic studies to guide therapy decisions.
Indian-focused research priorities
Beyond breast cancer, the researchers are building genetic panels for pancreatic cancer, a disease notoriously difficult to detect until late stages. By integrating global datasets with Indian-specific data, scientists hope to identify reliable markers that enable early diagnosis. In addition, the program is pursuing blood-based markers that could offer non-invasive, early detection methods—an advance that could significantly improve survival rates for cancers such as pancreatic cancer.
BCGA: A nationwide genomics resource
The venture is complemented by the Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas (BCGA), which already contains genomic information from hundreds of Indian breast cancer patients. With open access to this data, researchers nationwide can accelerate the development of targeted diagnostics and therapies that are more relevant to Indian patients. BCGA helps translate lab discoveries into clinically useful tools, speeding up the journey from bench to bedside.
Open data, collaboration, and affordable care
These efforts align with a broader vision of precision medicine in India—care that is as personalized as a patient’s genetic profile while remaining affordable. Collaborative links with healthcare facilities such as Karkinos Healthcare and the Chennai Breast Clinic are essential to translating laboratory breakthroughs into real-world treatment. The open-access BCGA data further enables clinicians, hospitals, and public health bodies to adopt and adapt precision strategies across diverse Indian populations.
What this means for the Indian cancer journey
By building a national, India-centric database of tumor biology and mirroring it with tissue banks, IIT-Madras is paving the way for more accurate diagnoses, earlier detection, and bespoke therapies. The combination of patient-derived tumor cultures, Indian-specific mutation data, and open-access genomics resources points toward faster development of targeted diagnostics and treatments that are both effective and affordable for millions of Indian cancer patients.
Looking ahead
Ongoing research at IIT-Madras, supported by government grants and industry partnerships, is expected to broaden the scope to additional cancer types and extend the life-saving potential of precision medicine across India. If successful, the cancer genome and tissue bank—and the BCGA—could become a blueprint for other nations seeking to harness local genomic diversity to improve cancer care.
