A research team led by CCII Program-specific Professor Kenji Chamoto from the Department of Immunogenomics and doctoral students Zhang Rongsheng, has developed a novel “chimeric MHC class I/II epitope” capable of inducing broad antitumor immunity. This epitope activates both killer T cells and helper T cells simultaneously when a non‑self peptide is present inside the cell, and it can do so regardless of the peptide’s sequence.

This study proposes a new concept for adjuvant‑type cancer immunotherapy that does not require the identification of tumor antigens. The approach has the potential to convert tumors that are unresponsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors into responsive ones.

For more details, please visit our university website (Japanese Only).

The results of this research were published online in the international journal Journal of Experimental Medicine on December 5, 2025.

書誌情報

Rongsheng Zhang, Rong Ma, Merrin M.L. Leong, Ian R. Watson, Kei Iida, Tomonori Yaguchi, Fumihiko Matsuda, Tasuku Honjo, Kenji Chamoto (2025). Chimeric MHC class I– and II–restricted non-self epitopes broaden antitumor T cell reactions. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 223, 2, e20250025.

【Journal】 Journal of Experimental Medicine

【Title】 Chimeric MHC class I– and II–restricted non-self epitopes broaden antitumor T cell reactions

【Date of publication】 December 5, 2025（Online）

【DOI】10.1084/jem.20250025