Annual Report 2023
Division of Cancer Immunotherapy
Tetsuya Nakatsura, Yasushi Uemura, Kyoko Fukuda, Nobuo Tsukamoto, Toshihiro Suzuki, Norihiro Fujinami, Arnaud Couzinet, Kazumasa Takenouchi, Kazunobu Onuki, Hiroki Kinoshita, Honoka Nishide, Alicia Cristina Peña Romero, Karin Iwasa, Rieko Oki, Rei Tachinooka, Shoichi Mizuno, Satoko Inoue
Introduction
Our division investigates evidence-based cancer immunotherapy by repeating basic and translational researches. This division is focused on developing not only more effective immunotherapies but also immunological methods to suppress recurrence or to prevent cancer.
The Team and What We Do
- Non-clinical basic research aimed at FIH clinical trial of new TCR gene introduction/CAR gene introduction T-cell therapy
- Non-clinical basic research aimed at FIH clinical trial of various iPS cell-derived immune cell therapies
- Development of a diagnostic method for predicting cancer onset and recurrence using blood samples
- Basic research aimed at the clinical application of personalized T cell therapy
- Basic research aimed at developing vaccines to prevent cancer recurrence
- Associated research using patient specimens for various physician-initiated clinical trials
Research Activities
1) Public research funds and joint research funds were constantly obtained, and many types of joint research with companies and academia were conducted.
2) Research aimed at clinical trials of cancer vaccines is ongoing.
3) Research aimed at clinical trials of various TCR/CAR-T cell therapies is ongoing.
4) Personalized T cell therapy is being developed.
5) Research on circulating tumor cells in the blood is being conducted.
6) Various immune cells derived from iPS cells for cancer treatment are prepared, and their usefulness is studied at the basic research level.
7) A phase I clinical trial of iPS cell-derived CAR-ILC/NK cell therapy targeting GPC3 is being conducted in cooperation with Dr. Kaneko at the CiRA of Kyoto University.
8) We are engaged in development research aimed at clinical trials of novel CAR-T cell therapies.
Education
Our division accepted and trained the following trainees: students of doctoral course of the Graduate School of Medicine and Medical Doctors, students of doctor's course and master's course of Tokyo University of Science, and residents and senior residents of the NCCHE. A master course graduate was produced.
Future Prospects
Immune checkpoint blockades, such as anti-PD-1 antibody or anti-PD-L1 antibody, and CAR-T cell therapy targeting CD19 showed high clinical effects; therefore, the development of innovative cancer immunotherapy is required. We continue to undertake activities associated with bridging basic research and clinical application, aiming to develop novel immunotherapeutic methods.
List of papers published in 2023
Journal
1. Kikuchi Y, Shimada H, Hatanaka Y, Kinoshita I, Ikarashi D, Nakatsura T, Kitano S, Naito Y, Tanaka T, Yamashita K, Oshima Y, Nanami T. Clinical practice guidelines for molecular tumor markers, 2nd edition review part 1. International journal of clinical oncology, 29:1-19, 2024
2. Saito T, Couzinet A, Murakami T, Shimomura M, Suzuki T, Katayama Y, Nakatsura T. Rapid and high throughput assessment of cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 based on the ex vivo activation of genes in leukocyte assay with whole blood. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 694:149398, 2024
3. Morisue R, Kojima M, Suzuki T, Watanabe R, Sakamoto N, Sakashita S, Harada K, Nakai T, Ishii G, Nakatsura T, Gotohda N, Ishikawa S. Common clinicopathological and immunological features of sarcomatoid carcinoma across organs: A histomorphology-based cross-organ study. International journal of cancer, 153:1997-2010, 2023
4. Nakatsuka R, Kato T, Zhang R, Uemura Y, Sasaki Y, Matsuoka Y, Shirouzu Y, Fujioka T, Yamashita H, Hattori F, Nozaki T, Ogata H, Hitomi H. The Induction of Parathyroid Cell Differentiation from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Promoted Via TGF-α/EGFR Signaling. Stem cells and development, 32:670-680, 2023
5. Wu L, Gao Y, Xie S, Ye W, Uemura Y, Zhang R, Yu Y, Li J, Chen M, Wu Q, Cui P, Liu H, Mu S, Li Y, Wang L, Liu C, Li J, Zhang L, Jiao S, Zhang G, Liu T. The level of macrophage migration inhibitory factor is negatively correlated with the efficacy of PD-1 blockade immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Translational oncology, 37:101775, 2023