The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) is collaborating with the Cancer Institute (WIA) at Adyar in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to develop a point-of-care device for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

The two institutions have entered into an MoU to further develop and validate this technology and transfer it to a suitable Industrial partner to manufacture and market the kit to the general public.

Under funding from the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, the Department of Molecular Oncology at the Cancer Institute [WIA] had undertaken research to identify proteins which can be detected in the blood which can help in the diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancers, which accounts for over 90% of the ovarian cancers.

On the other hand, IIT Madras has received funding from Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC), DST- Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and Indo-US Science and Technology forum (IUSSTF) to develop point-of-care diagnostic platforms for pathogen detection and disease diagnosis. Novel diagnostic device technologies for important diseases specific to India. In particular, tuberculosis and COVID-19  are at the pre-clinical validation stage.

Both Institutions will establish a review board and will obtain the necessary ethical clearances to evaluate and review the progress arising from this collaboration.