Overview

The Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology (CCII) was established in April 2020 as an affiliated education and research facility of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine to take the global lead in resolving various issues in cancer immunology and immunotherapy as well as contribute to rapid improvements in cancer care. The CCII brings together Japanese and overseas cancer immunology researchers in cross-sectional collaboration and houses a streamlined research system, straight from basic research to clinical applications, in cooperation with Kyoto University Hospital and other medical institutions.

The first director of the CCII is Tasuku Honjo, distinguished professor of Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study (KUIAS) and co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of PD-1. The CCII plans to establish six divisions—three for basic medicine and three for clinical medicine. An environment suitable for organic basic-clinical collaboration will be created by having the divisions on the same floor and having faculty members hold additional posts. Moreover, the CCII will cultivate cancer immunology researchers by providing spaces for early-career principle investigators (PIs). It also plans to include spaces for enterprises for the promotion of collaboration between industry and academia.

As the first cancer immunology research hub in Japan, the CCII aims not only to attract Japanese and overseas researchers in the field of “cancer immunology,” both basic and clinical, but also go beyond “cancer” and “immunization” to bring together researchers from various fields related to the regulation of the effects of cancer immunotherapy, in an effort to take the global lead in resolving various issues in cancer immunotherapy and develop next-generation cancer immunology research and therapy.

The CCII will recruit faculty members from among distinguished researchers worldwide in fields associated with cancer immunology. The CCII will collaborate not only with other research organizations within the university, including clinical departments at the Kyoto University Hospital, Cancer Center, Institute for Advancement of Clinical and Translational Science (iACT), Center for Genomic Medicine, and Medical Research Support Center, but also with international organizations such as the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM) in Italy and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) where Kyoto University has on-site laboratories. This will enable the CCII to establish a practical framework for research cooperation and human resource cultivation in the field of cancer immunology.

Thanks to a donation totaling JPY 5.5 billion (or approximately USD 53 million) from Bristol Myers Squibb K.K., as well as subsidies from the Japanese government, the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology has elected to construct its main building at the Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine Campus. The Building will be named the Bristol Myers Squibb Building at the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology.

The appearance of the Bristol Myers Squibb Building at the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology was drawn by Mr. Tadao Ando, who is an internationally renowned Japanese architect. His layout for the Building is comprised of two central design themes—"circular design”, represented by an image of immune cells, and color which represents a gentle cell membrane. The symbolic appearance of the Building is considered appropriate for the first-ever Japanese comprehensive research institute dedicated to cancer immunotherapy research.

Construction of the Building is scheduled to be completed in 2023.