V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, releasing the cancer genome database in IIT Madras on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit:
M. SRINATH
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched a genome database masking paediatric leukaemia, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. The Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas (BCGA) has been made publicly accessible to researchers and clinicians in India and overseas at bcga.iitm.ac.in.
Indian Council of Medical Research report reveals that one in 9 Indians is probably going to develop cancer, with about 2.5 million individuals at present residing with the illness and incidence rising by 12.8% yearly since 2022. Despite this, sufferers in India are under-represented in world cancer genome research. To bridge this hole, IIT Madras had launched the Indian Cancer Genome Programme in 2020, finishing entire genome sequencing of affected person samples collected nationwide, with principal assist from Hyundai Motor India’s Hyundai Hope for Cancer initiative, together with ₹56 crore in funding and an extra ₹3 crore to assist therapy for economically weaker households.
The research, led by IIT Madras’ Centre of Excellence on Cancer Genomics and Molecular Therapeutics, concerned collaborations with Karkinos Healthcare, Mumbai, and a number of Chennai hospitals. Alongside BCGA, the institute additionally launched the Bharat Cancer Genome Grid (BCG2), a clinician-centric platform to combine genomic knowledge into routine oncology observe.
The initiative, supported by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Center for Precision Medicine in Cancer, additionally contains screening camps, technician coaching, and cell healthcare outreach.
Published – February 04, 2026 09:26 pm IST