MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
Introduction
Department of Molecular Oncology
Established in 1994, the Department of Molecular Oncology was founded with the guiding mission: “Today’s Research, Tomorrow’s Cure.” Recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, the department has received significant research funding from prominent national agencies including DST, DBT, ICMR, BRNS, and the DBT-Wellcome Trust.
The department focuses on both fundamental and translational cancer research, with the aim of advancing scientific understanding and improving therapeutic approaches. It is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation such as the Berthold in vivo imaging system, HPLC, MALDI TOF, Quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry, Ion GeneStudio S5 next-generation sequencing (NGS) system, Beckman Coulter CytoFLEX, PacBio Onso platform, and Leica Live Cell Imaging system.
The department currently comprises seven research scientists with expertise across various domains and six scientific assistants. Fifteen PhD students are registered under the University of Madras and are actively pursuing their research within the department.
As the research arm of the Cancer Institute, we are committed to conducting high-quality, interdisciplinary research that contributes meaningfully to the fight against cancer.
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Molecular Diagnostic Unit
Molecular Diagnostic Unit
S.NO | TEST PARAMETERS | PLATFORM USED |
1 | BCR-ABL Qualitative Analysis | Real-Time PCR |
2 | BCR-ABL Quantitative Analysis | Real-Time PCR |
3 | EWS-FLI Testing | Reverse Transcriptase-PCR |
4 | BRCA1, BRCA2 & TP53 Gene Panel | Next Generation Sequencing |
5 | Breast Cancer Extended Gene Panel | Next Generation Sequencing |
6 | Cancer Hotspot Gene Panel | Next Generation Sequencing |
7 | Colon & Lung Cancer Gene Panel | Next Generation Sequencing |
8 | Lung RNA Fusion Gene Panel | Next Generation Sequencing |
Department Statistics (Year wise)
Research Activities: Ongoing Studies
Ongoing Clinical Trials in the Department
Centre For Advance Research - Development of Dendritic Cell Vaccine for The Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic Reproductive Cancers (A Multi Institutional CAR) Total Budget: 98,000000 INR (to the Department: 36,000,000 INR)
PI: Dr. T. Rajkumar
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. Priya Ramanathan, Dr. Nikita Mehra, Dr. J. Hascitha
Funding agency: Indian Council of Medical Research
Efficacy of Pioglitazone in Patients with Recurrent/ Refractory Inoperable High-Grade Osteosarcoma After Failure of First-Line Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study
PI: Dr. Nikita Mehra
Co-PI from the Department: Dr. T. Rajkumar
Efficacy of Pioglitazone in combination with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Extremity Skeletal High-Grade Osteosarcoma Treated with Curative Intent: An Open-label, Multi-centre, Randomized Phase II Clinical Trial
PI: Dr. Nikita Mehra
Co-PI from the Department: Dr. T. Rajkumar
Other Projects in the Department
Center For Advance Research - Development of Dendritic Cell Vaccine for The Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic Reproductive Cancers (A Multi Institutional CAR) Total Budget: 98,000000 INR (to the Department: 36,000,000 INR)
PI: Dr. T. Rajkumar
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. Priya Ramanathan, Dr. Nikita Mehra, Dr. J. Hascitha
Funding agency: Indian Council of Medical Research
Phase 2 dendritic cell vaccine clinical trial for stage IIIB cervical cancer
Total Budget: 98,000000 INR (to the Department- 36,000,000 INR)
PI: Dr. T. Rajkumar
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. Priya Ramanathan
Funding agency: Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Identification of tumor suppressor kinases inactivation by pathogenic genetic variants and analysis of consequential dysregulated signalling in gastric cancer.
PI: Dr. G. Gopal
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. Samson Mani, Dr. Balaji Ramachandran
Awarding Agency: Core Research Grant Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Total Budget: 65,00,000 INR
Understanding the role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in breast cancer
PI: Dr. Samson Mani
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. T. Rajkumar, Dr. Deva Magendhra Rao. A. K.
Funding Agency: Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Total Budget: 68,00,000 INR
Genomic and whole transcriptomic characterization of colon cancer
PI: Dr. Samson Mani
Co-Investigators: Dr. T. Rajkumar, Dr. Deva Magendhra Rao. A. K.
Funding Agency: Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Total Budget: 85,00,000 INR
Project Title: Prognostic implications of circulating non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs/miRNAs) in plasma of breast cancer patients
Principal Investigator: Dr. Samson Mani
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. Deva Magendhra Rao. A. K.
OPTIMISTICC (OPportunity To Investigate the Microbiome’s Impact on Science and Treatment In Colorectal Cancer) Large bowel microbiome disease network – Phase 2
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Mayilvahanan Bose
Funding Agency: Cancer Research UK
Total Budget: 6,50,000 INR
Development and clinical validation of p16 based ELISA kit for cervical cancer screening.
PI: Dr. Mayilvahanan Bose
Project Co-ordinator: Dr. T. Rajkumar
Funding Agency: DBT-ATGC
Total Budget: 8,91,6634 INR
Modeling of EWS-FLI orthotopic homograft reporter mice
PI: Dr. Balaji Ramachandran
Co-PI: Dr. T. Rajkumar
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. G. Gopal
Funding Agency: Core Research Grant Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Total Budget: 56,00,000 INR
Studies on Improving the Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Vaccines by targeting Indoleamine 2, 3 Dioxygenases (Ido1 And 2)
PI: Dr. Priya Ramanathan
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. Balaji Ramachandran, Dr. Sabitha
Funding Agency: Core Research Grant Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Total Budget: 59,60,000 INR
Identification of Aberrant DNA Methylation and Expression of Long non-coding RNAs: Assessing its Functional and Clinical Significance in Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance, Smoldering multiple myeloma and Multiple myeloma Collaborating Institute: Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore
PI: Dr. Nikita Mehra
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. T. Rajkumar, Dr Samson Mani, Dr Priya Ramanathan
Funding Agency: Core Research Grant Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Total Budge: 69,59,000 INR
Detection of M-proteins in Acetonitrile Precipitates of Serum by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
PI: Dr. Nikita Mehra
Co-Investigators from the Department: Dr. G. Gopal, Mr. S Jayavelu, Dr. T. Rajkumar
Academic/Education activities – Students, courses/training programs conducted routinely
List of Faculty Members
Dr. Deva Magendhra Rao. A. K.
MSc, PhD
Dr. K. Sabitha
MSc, PhD
Dr. G. Gopal
MSc, PhD
Dr. Mayilvahanan Bose
MSc, M.Phil, PhD
Dr. Balaji Ramachandran
MSc, PhD
Dr. Priya Ramanathan
MSc, PhD
Department Staff Members
| Mr. S. Jayavelu | MSc | Scientific Assistant |
| Mr. M. Vijayavel | Diploma, Animal Health Technology | Technologist – Animal House Facility |
| Ms. T. Sangeetha | MSc | Technician (Molecular Diagnostics) |
| Ms. S. Srividya Limkar | MSc | Technician (Molecular Diagnostics) |
| Mr. P. Pitchai Muthu | Diploma, Medical Laboratory | Lab Technician |
| Mr. M. Vijayavel | Diploma, Animal Health Technology | Technologist – Animal House Facility |
Doctoral Students
| Ms. S. Vaishnavi | MTech | Senior Research Fellow (Thesis Guide: Dr. T. Rajkumar) |
| Ms. R. Aadhithya | MTech | Junior Research Fellow (Thesis Guide: Dr. G. Gopal) |
| Ms. Keerthana Reddy | MSc | Junior Research Fellow (Thesis Guide: Dr. R. Balaji) |
Project Staff
| Ms. R. Nandhini | MBA | Social Investigator (Project PI: Dr. T. Rajkumar) |
Accomplishments
Department Publications: January, 2011 to February, 2022
- Mayil Vahanan Bose, Gopisetty Gopal, Ganesharaja Selvaluxmy, Thangarajan Rajkumar* (2012). Dominant negative Ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2C sensitizes cervical cancer cells to radiation. Int J Rad Biol. 88: 629-634.
2. Priya Ramanathan, Selvaluxmy Ganeshrajah, Rajalekshmi K.R, Shirley Sundar Singh, Thangarajan Rajkumar (2014). Development and clinical evaluation of dendritic cell vaccines for HPV related cervical cancer-a feasibility study. Asia Pacific J Cancer Prev. 15: 5909-5916.
3. Hascitha J, Priya R, Jayavelu S, Dhandapani H, Selvaluxmy G, Sunder Singh S, Rajkumar T. Analysis of Kynurenine/Tryptophan ratio and expression of IDO1 and 2 mRNA in tumour tissue of cervical cancer patients. Clin Biochem. 2016 Aug;49(12):919-24
4. Amutha Periyasamy, Gopal Gopisetty, Velusami Sridevi, Joyimallaya Subramanium Malliga, Thangarajan Rajkumar. Identification of candidate biomarker mass (m/z) ranges in Serous Ovarian Adenocarcinoma using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry profiling. Biomarkers 2015 20(5):292-8.
5. Amutha Periyasamy and Thangarajan Rajkumar. Role of insulin-like growth factor, insulin-like growth factor receptors and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in ovarian cancer. IJMPO, 2017; 38(2):198-206
Scientific Meetings
- Workshop on flow cytometry and cell sorting, January 2012
- Advanced flow cytometry and cell sorting workshop, February 2014
- Hands-on training workshop on Liquid Biopsy, October 2016
Innovative Ideas and Practices: List of Patents filed from the Department
- Development of a Double Antibody Sandwich Elisa for detection of p16 in cervical smear lysates. Patent has been filed [Application number 475/CHE/2014, filed on 03-02-2014]. We are in the process of transfer of Technology to a Govt. of India subsidiary company. This kit will help enable population based cervical cancer screening in a cost-effective manner without the need for highly trained Pathologists or Technologists. It can be done at the point off care such as a Primary Health Centre.
- Novel cell penetrating anti-tumorigenic polypeptide for potential treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma. Patent has been filed [Application number 386/CHE/2015].
- Biomarkers for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer Patent filed [Application number 201741011879]
- Blood based biomarkers for early diagnosis and follow up of breast cancer. Patent filed [Ref no: 202041030017; Application number: TEMP/E-1/33382/2020-CHE; PCT Application no: PCT/IN2020/050942].
- A Non - invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer and method of detection. Patent Application Number: 202041055348 dated 19/12/2020
- Rapid and Accurate Detection of M-Protein by MALDI-TOF by Reagent-Based Extraction. Patent has been filed [Application number: 202041009443], March 2020
- A Non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer and method of detection.
- Patent Application Number: 202041055348 dated 19/12/2020
- A Non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer and method of detection. Patent Application Number: 202041055348 dated 19/12/2020
- Development of SARS-COV2 test kit using RT-LAMP method Patent Application Number : 202041051045 dated 24/11/2020
Quick Contacts
Please feel free to contact our friendly staff with any medical enquiry.
- Emergency Line: (044) 2220 9150
- No:38, Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai - 20
- Registration Time - 7AM to 11AM