WB soon to have a world class research facility for cancer
West Bengal will soon house a world-class research facility for cancer.
By ET Bureau |
KOLKATA: West Bengal will soon house a world-class research facility for cancer. Roche Diagnostics India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss biotech and diagnostics major F. Hoffmann-La Roche, plans to conduct high-end genomic research on oral cancer in the soon-to-be-operational research lab being set up by the union department of biotechnology (DBT) at Kalyani.
Roche on Saturday announced it had entered into a partnership with the International Cancer Genome Consortium ��� India (ICGC). India, through DBT, is one of the first signatories to the ICGC, which consists of 11 countries that are working collaboratively to unravel the genetic factors causing common cancers of different organs.
The research by Roche will try to unravel the changes in DNA that are responsible for manifestation of oral cancer, including changes that are inherited and acquired during the lifetime of an individual. This will ultimately help to improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of oral cancer. Roche will implement its technologies at the up-coming DBT laboratory at Kalyani.
Incidentally, the state government has allotted around 30 acres to the DBT for setting up the lab, christened National Institute of Biomedical Genomics. "The project has been approved by the union cabinet. The state is providing some ready-made infrastructure for a cancer lab where hi-end research work will be undertaken," West Bengal IT and biotech secretary Mr Siddharth told ET.
In a media release issued by Roche Diagnostics India, the company's chairman and managing director Bhuwnesh Agrawal said: "As the world leader in cancer diagnosis and treatment, we expect the findings to increase our knowledge of cancer and find new avenues of its management to enable personalised healthcare."
DBT secretary M.K. Bhan said in the release: "This is the most ambitious project undertaken by the DBT. Not only will this project teach us about the genetic basis of our most common and dreadful cancer ��� oral cancer, it will also teach us how to conduct and manage mega-science projects, train our scientists and students in the handling of next-generation genomic technology platforms."
Roche on Saturday announced it had entered into a partnership with the International Cancer Genome Consortium ��� India (ICGC). India, through DBT, is one of the first signatories to the ICGC, which consists of 11 countries that are working collaboratively to unravel the genetic factors causing common cancers of different organs.
The research by Roche will try to unravel the changes in DNA that are responsible for manifestation of oral cancer, including changes that are inherited and acquired during the lifetime of an individual. This will ultimately help to improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of oral cancer. Roche will implement its technologies at the up-coming DBT laboratory at Kalyani.
Incidentally, the state government has allotted around 30 acres to the DBT for setting up the lab, christened National Institute of Biomedical Genomics. "The project has been approved by the union cabinet. The state is providing some ready-made infrastructure for a cancer lab where hi-end research work will be undertaken," West Bengal IT and biotech secretary Mr Siddharth told ET.
In a media release issued by Roche Diagnostics India, the company's chairman and managing director Bhuwnesh Agrawal said: "As the world leader in cancer diagnosis and treatment, we expect the findings to increase our knowledge of cancer and find new avenues of its management to enable personalised healthcare."
DBT secretary M.K. Bhan said in the release: "This is the most ambitious project undertaken by the DBT. Not only will this project teach us about the genetic basis of our most common and dreadful cancer ��� oral cancer, it will also teach us how to conduct and manage mega-science projects, train our scientists and students in the handling of next-generation genomic technology platforms."
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