Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 16 Researchers at the BRIC-RGCB here have received a grant of Rs 7 crore to develop an automated diagnostic device to detect early signs of cervical cancer from a blood sample, potentially reducing the need for invasive procedures and specialised technical expertise.
The project is supported by the MAHA MedTech Mission, launched by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Gates Foundation, according to a statement on Friday.
The research is being conducted by BRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in collaboration with Thiruvananthapuram-based start-up IndZita Biotech Private Limited and Karkinos Healthcare Private Limited (KHPL), based in Barshi, Maharashtra, the statement said.
RGCB Director Dr Beena Pillai said she was extremely proud that scientists at the centre had received the grant.
More than 1,000 proposals were received for the ANRF grant, of which 33 were selected, including the proposal from RGCB, she said.
The proposed device is designed to detect PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNA)-based biomarkers in blood and analyse them using nanopore technology, a highly sensitive molecular detection platform. The aim is to develop a rapid, automated testing system that can eventually be operated with minimal specialised training.
“The idea is to make the technology simple enough to be used beyond specialised laboratory settings. Once the device is fully developed and validated, a patient would only need to provide a blood sample, after which the automated system would perform the analysis,” said Dr Jackson James, the project’s lead researcher.
Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern in India.
Although screening and early detection can help identify cervical abnormalities before they progress to invasive disease, access to screening can be limited by the availability of trained personnel, laboratory infrastructure and appropriate diagnostic facilities, particularly in underserved areas, the statement said.
The RGCB-led project aims to address some of these challenges by developing a minimally invasive, automated and potentially rapid, blood-based approach to detecting cervical cancer biomarkers.
“Our objective is to develop a platform that could eventually support screening and early detection in settings where conventional laboratory infrastructure is limited,” said Dr Ani V Das, a member of the research team.
The technology has already been patented, and the research team has completed laboratory-scale validation using cell cultures and mouse models. A pilot study involving human blood samples has also been completed at the laboratory scale.
Development of an early-stage prototype of the diagnostic device is currently underway.
The project team, comprising Dr Jackson James, Dr Ani V Das and Dr Mahendran K R from BRIC-RGCB, aims to translate the laboratory findings into a functional diagnostic platform that could eventually support accessible, minimally invasive and automated cervical cancer screening, subject to further clinical validation and regulatory approval, the statement said.
Cervical cancer is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening, and can be cured if detected early and treated promptly, according to the WHO.
It was the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer among women globally in 2024, with around 604,000 new cases and 280,000 deaths.
The disease is caused by persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), while women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop it than those without HIV.
(PTI News)
