Lok Sabha Question No. 282 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-12
Subject: Research on Cancer
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Sakshi Ji Swami Maharaj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 282 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.07.2019

## RESEARCH ON CANCER

*282.  DR. SWAMI SAKSHIJI MAHARAJ : SHRI BHOLA SINGH :

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY विज्ञान एिं प्रौद्योगिकी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is undertaking any research work to check damage to the normal cells of the body during cancer treatment;
- (b)   if so, the details and the outcome thereof;
- (c)   whether the Government is working on any other research works related to cancer; and
- (d)   if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE; MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

स्िास््य और पररिार कल्याण मंत्री ; विज्ञान एिं प्रौद्योगिकी मंत्री ; तथा पृ्िी विज्ञान मंत्री (डॉ. हर्ष िर्षन)

- (a) to (d) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 282 ON 12/07/2019 REGARDING RESEARCH ON CANCER.

- (a)&(b) No, Sir. CSIRNational Institute of Science, Technology and Development  Studies  (CSIR-  NISTADS)  a  constituent  of  Council  of Scientific and Industrial Research has not undertaken any research work to check damage to the normal cells of the body during cancer treatment.
- (c) Yes, Sir. In addition to CSIR other departments such as Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of AYUSH and Department  of  Atomic  Energy  (DAE)  are  working  in  the  area  of cancer.
- (d) Details  of  research  work  being  carried  out  by  CSIR  and  other Departments are given below:
1. Council of Scientific &  Industrial Research  (CSIR) constituent laboratories  namely  Central  Drug  Research  Institute  (CSIR-  CDRI), Lucknow;  Centre  for  Cellular  &  Molecular  Biology  (CSIR-  CCMB), Hyderabad;  Indian  Institute  of  Integrative  Medicine  (CSIR-  IIIM), Jammu; Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIRIMTECH), Chandigarh; Indian Institute of Chemical  Biology (CSIRIICB), Kolkata; Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR- IGIB), New  Delhi;  Indian  Institute  of  Chemical  Technology  (CSIR-  IICT), Hyderabad are pursuing research in the area of cancer.

The research activities are focused towards discovery of biomarker for early diagnosis, understanding genetic & epigenetic regulation of cancer,  metabolic  reprogramming  involving  heat  shock  proteins (Hsps), understanding molecular mechanism of the disease, discovery  &  development  of  therapeutics  for  cancer,  chip  based platform for blood based detection of cancer, targeted drug delivery etc.  Brief about the few cancer research activities is as below:-

- (i) CSIRCCMB  has  identified signatures for breast cancer and paediatric  Acute  Lymphoblastic  Leukemia  (ALL).  Translation  of these signatures to make  a  lab on chip based  platform for developing blood based detection of these types of cancer is under progress;

- (ii) CSIR-  IIIM  is  developing  an  anti-cancer  drug  code  named  IIIM-290 which  possess  potent  cytotoxicity  in  leukemia  and  pancreatic cancer  cells  (IC50  <  1  µM).  The  regulatory  safety  pharmacology (IND-enabling studies) of the lead has been completed and the IND dossier is  being  submitted  to  the  DCG  (I)  for  seeking  clinical  trial approval;
- (iii) CSIR-  IMTECH  has  developed  a  novel  engineered  cell  penetrating peptide (CPP) based photosensitizer protein that can be produced economically through usage of bacterial expression system. Targeted  delivery  of  this  protein  has  been  found  to  cause  light assisted killing of cancer cells only. The work is still at experimental stage; and
- (iv) CSIR- IICT has established glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as a broad target for developing therapeutics against aggressive, drug resistant and relapsing cancer malignancies. The technology importantly  showed  the  possibility  to  develop  viable  therapeutics for cancer patients with relapse and at terminal stages by the reuse of existing drugs.
2. Department  of  Biotechnology  (DBT)  has  been  supporting  cancer research in  an  integrated  way  to  develop  new  methods  to  prevent and  treat  disease  and  conducts  research  especially  in  challenging areas pertaining to different types of cancer; Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Oral Cancer, Retinoblastoma,  Multiple  Myeloma,  Head  &  Neck  Cancer,  Myeloid Luekemia, Chronic Myeloid Luekemia and Ovarian Cancer etc.

Over the past decade, DBT's funding in cancer research has yielded a  vastly  improved  understanding  of  the  cancer  disease  including some  of  the  genetic  and  environmental  factors  and  biological mechanisms  that  cause  or  contribute to  cancer  development, progression and spread, identification of biomarkers for India specific cancer types, diagnostics & therapeutics, and clinical trials.

The  outcomes  in  the  area  of  Oral  Cancer,  Acute  Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) and Anti-Cancer Nano medicine are as below:

- (i) DBT has funded the Indian participation in the International Cancer Genome  Consortium  for  understanding  genomic  underpinnings  of oral  cancer,  in  which  the  Indian  project  was  spearheaded  by  the

National  Institute  of  Biomedical  Genomics  National  Institute  of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG - a DBT- funded institution);

- (ii) NIBMG  has  identified  10  genes,  mutations  in  which  predispose  to oral cancer and identified that there are distinct molecular genetic profiles that are predictive of survival after treatment;
- (iii) Specific biological pathway has been identified, so that the repurposing of common drugs could be done for management of oral cancer in India;
- (iv) One of the worst indications of oral cancer is if the cancer spreads to  the lymph  nodes  near  the  oral  cavity.  Some  success  has  been achieved  in  identification  of  molecular  genetic  patterns  that  could help  to  identify  spread  to  the  lymph  node,  technically  known  as lymph node metastasis;
- (v) Established low cost effective care using arsenic trioxide (ATO) in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and the same was instrumental in  moving  this  therapy  to  front  line  therapy  in  the  management  of APL in the world;
- (vi) Anti-Cancer Nano medicine: A novel protein Nano medicine platform technology  for  the  oral  delivery  of  chemo  drugs  for  treating  liver cancer  and  leukemia  is  being  developed.  Nanotechnology  based Sorafenib  capsules  developed  under  this  platform  technology  will give  much  better  therapeutic  effects  at  half-dose  and  will  greatly reduce  the  toxicity  effects  and  cost  burden.  Clinical  trials  are expected to started within next two years; and
- (vii) Nanotechnology  based  Contrast  Agent  for  Early  Diagnosis:  A  novel biocompatible  calcium  phosphate  based  contrast  agent  has  been developed, which can detect both liver tumor and cirrhotic nodule at very  small  size  of  <0.25cm.  Clinical  trials  for  this  product  are expected to start within next two years.
3. Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research Programme (DPRP) under DST has supported 'National facility  on  community  based  cancer  tissue bio bank for drug targets' at Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai to carry out research on identification of tumor specific biomarkers for  early  detection,  development  of  polymer  based  drug  delivery system. The research carried out under this project is as below:

- (i) More  than  3000  cancer  tissue  samples  and blood samples with patient information has been collected;
- (ii) Whole  genome  exome  and  transcriptome  sequencing  for 250 breast cancer tissue samples  and  identification of specific markers for Indian breast cancer patients;
- (iii) Whole genome transcriptome for 120 oral cancers samples were completed and biomarkers for Indian  oral cancer  patients  using proteomics have been identified;
- (iv) The facility is in the process of establishing India's specific breast cancer genome data base; and
- (v) Whole genome transcriptome sequencing was performed for 30 Biliary atresia (liver problem in infants) samples and identified specific gene signature for Biliary atresia to understand the treatment outcome.
4. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been undertaking the following multi-disciplinary research on various aspects of cancer:
- (i) The  data  generated  under  National  Cancer  Registry  Program (NCRP) formed the basis that only one type of cancer i.e. cervical cancer, has shown decline over the years;
- (ii) ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR)  developed  the  screening  modules  for  oral,  breast  and cervical cancers for the National program;
- (iii) ICMR has formulated the Guidelines for management of 13 cancers (including breast, cervix, lung, tongue, oral, lymphomas, etc) and the same are available in public domain;
- (iv) Pattern of care and survival studies on cervical, breast and head and neck cancers has been completed by ICMR-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR); and
- (v) HPV vaccine indigenous strains have been identified by ICMR.
5. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) contributions and ongoing activities in the area of cancer research are as below:
- (i) Human  Papilloma  Virus  (HPV)  Vaccine  trial  of  two  dose  versus three dose of indigenously developed vaccine is being conducted

- by Serum Institute Pune in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram;
- (ii) The mutational landscape of gingivobuccal cancers unraveled by NIBMG and Advanced Centre Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC);
- (iii) Dendritic  cell  vaccine  for  cervix  cancer  developed  by  National Institute of Immunology (NII) and Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai are under clinical trials;
- (iv) Diagnostic  test  for  molecular  classification  of  medulloblastomas based on miRNA profiling was developed at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai, and introduced into routine clinical practice;
- (v) Animal  model  of  graft  versus  host  disease  (GVHD)  and  radiation induced  pneumonitis  was  established  and  drugs  in  preclinical development are being tested in collaboration with Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC);
- (vi) The National Cancer Grid, an initiative of TMC, Mumbai, a network of  major  cancer  centres,  research  institutes,  patient  groups  and charitable institutions across India with the mandate of establishing  uniform  standards  of  patient  care  for  prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, providing specialized training and  education  in  oncology  and  facilitating  collaborative  basic, translational and clinical research in cancer has been established; and
- (vii) Practice  changing  Clinical  trial  in  patients  with  early-stage  oral squamous-cell cancer showed that elective neck dissection resulted  in  higher  rates  of  overall  and  disease-free  survival  than did therapeutic neck dissection.
6. The Research Councils i.e. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Science  (CCRAS)/  Central  Council  for  Research  in  Unani  Medicine (CCRUM)/ Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) and Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) under the Ministry of AYUSH have been undertaking  the  following  research  activities  on cancer:
- (i) CCRAS  has  developed  of  a  coded  drug  AYUSH  QOL-2C  for improving the quality of life in cancer patients. The clinical studies were conducted at St. John's Medical College, Bengaluru and All

- India  Institute  of  Medical  Science  (AIIMS),  New  Delhi  on  breast cancer  patients  and  at  Bhagwan  Mahaveer  Cancer  Hospital  and Research Centre, Jaipur in lung cancer patients; (ii) CCRH has studied the role of homoeopathic medicines in cancer regression and rejuvenation of depressed immune system; (iii) The  study  concluded  that  homoeopathic  medicines  act  through P53  gene  and  induces  apoptosis  (cell  death)  and  have  immunomodulatory effect; (iv) CCRH has evaluated the  role  of  homoeopathy  on  side  effects  of chemotherapy in cancer patients, at Kolkata; (v) The results indicated that homoeopathy play an important role in preventing/minimize the side effects/complications and management during and after surgery, radiation, chemotherapy by strengthening the immune system; and (vi) Delineating the anti-cancer potential and the mechanism of action of Unani medicinal formulation Itrifal-e-aftimoon in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia is under study with AIIMS, New Delhi.

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