“Most cancers will be controlled through sophisticated yet widely available immune system interventions by 2050.”
– We at CCII will continue our research in pursuit of this universal dream for humanity.
Our Mission
For more than 100 years, scientists have attempted to develop immunotherapy approaches against cancer. After a long series of failures, cancer immunotherapy is now the treatment of choice for a wide range of cancer types. PD-1, the main therapeutic target for clinical cancer immunotherapy today, was discovered in Japan by Dr. Tasuku Honjo and applied to cancer immunotherapy after more than 20 years of basic research and clinical trials. Furthermore, basic research on the PD-1 molecule by many scientists has deepened our understanding of the immune response to cancer cells over the past decades. Still, the immune response to cancer is highly individual and yet to be fully elucidated. Thus, there are still many patients for whom current cancer immunotherapy approaches are not effective.
In cancer immunotherapy, a complex interplay of factors such as the genetic constitution of the patient, the nature of the cancer cells, and even lifestyle habits such as diet and smoking create individual differences in treatment efficacy. Understanding the connections between these diverse factors and the immune system will make it possible to develop optimal treatment methods tailored to individual patients.
To achieve this goal, research within the conventional framework of cancer biology and immunology is simply no longer sufficient. Thus, our aim is to integrate all the relevant academic specialties into a new kind of cancer immunology and establish CCII as a global center of excellence for the future of research on cancer and immunology. Furthermore, our goal at CCII is to become a hub for collaboration with research institutions and companies in Japan and abroad in order to accelerate the translation of new discoveries into new treatments to be delivered to patients. In this unique global research environment, CCII will enable scientific talent to carry out original research in cancer immunology and contribute to the lasting development of cancer immunology and cancer treatment.
Organization
The Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology (CCII) has been established in April 2000 within the Graduate School of Medicine at Kyoto University. Solid management and operation structures are on place.
Funding
Funding for CCII is provided for the most part through public grants. In addition, CCII’s activities are also supported by donations from corporations and individuals, as well as through joint research with industry and a special long-term research fund set-up with licensing revenue from patents related to PD-1 cancer drugs filed by the Honjo lab.
CCII’s New Research Building
At present, CCII’s facilities are distributed among various buildings on the Kyoto University campus. In 2024, the center will move into a new building, presently under construction, adjacent to the Kyoto University research hospital, designed in cooperation with Tadao Ando, one of Japan’s leading architects.
