Toyama University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center　

Cancer immunotherapy has a long history, but the advent of nivolumab and other immune checkpoint inhibitors has helped develop immunotherapy into a major pillar of cancer treatment. Today, while nivolumab is used as a part of everyday treatment with excellent results, the University of Toyama also has research data on new immunotherapy options with the potential to exceed even these results.
At the Cancer Immunotherapy Center, our mission is to take promising subjects of study that are still in the research stage, and provide them to patients as actual immunotherapy.

Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapy Using Genetically Modified Immune Cells

One particular example is next-generation cancer immunotherapy using genetically modified immune cells. This form of therapy uses next-generation technology to target hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and kidney cancer that express specific antigens, for enhanced anti-tumor effects and reduced side effects.

Immunotherapy Using T-Cells Genetically Engineered to Express Tumor Antigen Receptors

Another new form of immunotherapy uses T-cells genetically engineered to express tumor antigen receptors. Through this, we select immune cells based on surgical samples removed from patients, enabling us to provide treatment specifically tailored to each individual patient. In addition to these, leading experts in NK cell function, antibody production, and cytokine signaling are hard at work developing new therapies that further build upon our research results to date. Through efforts like these, available only through the University of Toyama, we aim to accept and treat cancer patients from not only Toyama, but from throughout Japan, and even overseas. This is our mission at the Cancer Immunotherapy Center.