2nd Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) 2020 Conference

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News: Minister of Science and Technology has virtually inaugurated the 2nd TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) 2020 Conference.

Facts:

• About the conference: The Conference brings together scientists and clinicians from across the globe to build Indian Cancer Genome Atlas (ICGA).
• Indian Cancer Genome Atlas(ICGA): It has been initiated by a consortium of key stakeholders in India led by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR), Government of India.
  • Aim: To create indigenous, open-source and comprehensive database of molecular profiles of all cancers prevalent in Indian population to better understand the underlying factors patient by patient.
• The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA): It is a landmark cancer genomics program that molecularly characterized over 20,000 primary cancers and matched normal samples spanning 33 cancer types.
  • It is a joint effort between the US- National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute began in 2006 bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines and multiple institutions.

Additional Facts:

• IndiGen Genome Project: It is being implemented by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB),Delhi and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB),Hyderabad.
  • Aim: To undertake whole genome sequencing of thousands of individuals representing diverse ethnic groups from India.
• Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes(PCAWG): It is an international collaboration of the International Cancer Genome Consortium and The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA).
  • Purpose: The project revealed the most comprehensive gene map of the genes whose departures from normal behaviour — mutations — trigger a cascade of genetic misbehaviours that eventually lead to cancer.