Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras is working towards creating an India-specific cancer genome database aimed at early detection and development of better treatment strategy for the disease.

The National Cancer Tissue Biobank (NCTB), a first of its kind community-based initiative in the country, is collecting cancer tissues from Indian patients.

According to the scientists at IIT-M, creation of such a genome database would also help in developing a specific drug for India’s population. 

Creation of such a pool with samples of different types of cancer and their study would give an indication on what is going on in the community regarding the disease. There could be differences in the way two persons affected with the same type of cancer respond to the treatment.

Till now, the NCTB has samples collected from over 1,800 patients and it has tied up with nine medical and educational institutes in Chennai and Puducherry for this purpose.