IIT Madras Launches Centre for 3D Cancer Omics to Strengthen Cancer Research

It is expected to support the translation of research into clinically actionable biomarkers, AI-enabled diagnostic tools, digital pathology applications and new avenues for targeted therapies.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched the Centre for 3D Cancer Omics to advance cancer research through three-dimensional tissue imaging, molecular analysis and data-driven approaches.

The initiative is supported by the Gogri family, IIT Madras and India’s Translational Research Initiative (ITRI).

As part of the collaboration, IIT Madras and ITRI have signed an agreement to support the Centre, which is housed at the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC).

The Centre plans to develop a comprehensive 3D tumour atlas at single-cell resolution built on SGBC’s advanced 3D tissue imaging capabilities.

By bringing together 3D tissue structure with molecular and liquid biopsy data, the Centre aims to build a deeper understanding of how tumours develop, evolve and respond to treatment.

Over the next five years, the initiative will initially focus on breast cancer. The resulting dataset is expected to support the translation of research into clinically actionable biomarkers, AI-enabled diagnostic tools, digital pathology applications and new avenues for targeted therapies.

It aims to build cancer-translation infrastructure in India, connecting advanced science, clinical networks, data and technology to address real-world patient needs.

The latest development follows existing initiatives by IIT Madras to advance cancer treatment research.

In a recent development, IIT Madras launched a comprehensive cancer genome database designed to address the lack of India-specific genomic data for cancer research.

The platform, named the Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas (BCGA), has been made publicly accessible to researchers and clinicians in India and abroad through bcga.iitm.ac.in.

The BCGA is designed to bridge critical gaps in genomic datasets related to cancers prevalent in the Indian population. It forms part of the larger Bharat Cancer Genome Grid (BCG2) initiative and has received principal funding support of INR 56 crore from the Hyundai Motor India Foundation under its ‘Hyundai Hope for Cancer’ programme.

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