A team of researchers from IIT Roorkee are working to develop a fast and sensitive point of care diagnostic kit to detect Cervical Cancer…
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer. Yet, it continues to be the fourth-most common type of cancer and cause of death from cancer worldwide. According to a report by World Health Organisation, an estimated 604,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer across the world and about 342,000 women died from the disease in 2020.
More than 95% of cases of cervical cancer happen due to persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), an extremely common family of viruses that are majorly transmitted through sexual contact. Vaccines exist that protect against high-risk HPV types. Infact, India recently got its first indigenously developed vaccine, “CERVAVAC” for the prevention of cervical cancer.
However, the fundamental measure to prevent cervical cancer remains to be its early & timely detection. Today, diagnostic tests are an important aspect of medicine along with therapeutics and vaccination. It is the “third imperative” for reducing the burden of any disease.
A team of researchers from IIT Roorkee are working to develop a fast and sensitive point of care diagnostic kit to detect the most oncogenic strain of HPV i.e., HPV16. Under the supervision of Professor Harsh Chauhan and his PhD students, IIT Roorkee’s team iGem is developing ‘Crisprly’ – a cost-effective and easy-to-use kit for use in low-resource settings without the need for special equipment or a trained professional.
We need this innovation, and we need it now. Why?
About 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of deaths occur in developing countries, with one-third of the world’s cases being from India. According to a report published by the HPV Information Center (WHO IARC initiative), 483.5 million women in India are at risk for cervical cancer.
The situation seems grim because of the lack of awareness multiplied by the inaccessibility of screening facilities. Often, people tend to ignore symptoms due to various factors such as economic conditions, taboos, reluctance to visit a doctor, etc. As per a report by IRAC, high incidence rates and high mortality rates of cervical cancer occur mainly (~90% for both) in low- and middle-income countries.
Sexual health and education continue to be taboo in many societies like India. There’s hardly any mainstream discourse, especially among women in rural parts which significantly impacts the odds of them actively seeking out tests and treatment, despite its prevalence. This, coupled with psychological factors like the fears of a painful and invasive test, anxieties about the results and embarrassment grows reluctance among people to come forward for screening.
Several diseases end up not being diagnosed at an early stage as they show no symptoms during the initial stages. The most common example being that of cervical cancer, which is one the most treatable types of cancer but due to its untimely diagnosis, it has become a concerning issue.
Many studies reveal that effective prevention of cervical cancer right now is clearly most lacking in the secondary stage of prevention, i.e., an accessible, and effective screening and testing programme facilitating early detection and treatment. This is where IIT Rorkee’s Crisprly could help India take a leap in making cervical cancers preventable right at the initial stage.
How will Crisply be different from existing screening methods?
Currently, prevalent methods of screening and detection come with multiple issues. For example, the most common test for cervical cancer, Pap Test, causes pain and can aggravate existing intra-epithelial lesions in the birth canal. Such invasive methods lead to the lack of compliance of patients and increase inhibitions when it comes to getting tested.
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