IIT Madras establishes first National Cancer Tissue Biobank

Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras announced the setting up of a Cancer Tissue Biobank- a unique, first of its kind community based venture.

This tissue biobank is a collaborative effort between the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and IIT Madras.

The DST had awarded Rs 27.81 crore towards the establishment of this facility in IIT Madras. This project will be spear headed by Prof S Mahalingam, Department of Biotechnology of IIT Madras. 

The project aims to attract voluntary contribution of cancer tissues by individual patients and treating doctors/institutions. This effort has become important with the advent of genomic medicine.

Such type of indigenous research is mandatory for progress in advancement of cancer therapeutics for our community. This community based venture will help to reflect on cancer incidence, diagnostics and treatment outcomes.

IIT Madras initiated the biobanking process with Cancer Research and Relief Trust (CRRT), Chennai and aims to collaborate with various institutions/organizations and encourage voluntary donation of cancer tissues by patients.

Measures will put in place for appropriate collection, transport and storage of such tissues in centralized tissue bank to be located within the premises of IIT Madras.

Research institutions or organizations with appropriate regulatory approval may have an access to these stored tissue samples with an aim to identify suitable drug targets and biomarkers.

This is aimed at discovering “personalized treatment” with less side effects, early detection and prevention of cancer.

IIT Madras has provided a complementary funding of Rs 3.9 crore in addition to the support from DST, Government of India.

Further, IIT Madras will also provide 10,000 square feet space exclusively for biobank with required storage and security facilities and has an infrastructure to accommodate 25,000 cancer tissue samples initially over a period of 5 years.

Super-resolution imaging system, cell sorting facility and next generation sequencing facilities will also be housed in the biobank.

IIT Madras will be involved in training, education and research of the next-generation biobanking process. Upon standardizing the system and process within the central facility at Chennai, this process will be duplicated at nodal stations in peripheral areas. This will propel cutting edge cancer research for the basic scientists and facilitate translational research in synergy with collaborating clinicians.