Japan's first clinical trial of cancer treatment using iPS cells begins

Japan's first clinical trial of cancer treatment using iPS cells begins October 22, 12:17

It was found that a group of RIKEN and Chiba University has started a clinical trial to examine the safety and efficacy of immune cells produced from iPS cells by actually transplanting them into cancer patients.

This is the first time in Japan that a clinical trial has begun with a cancer treatment method using iPS cells.

This is a clinical trial conducted by Akihiko Koseki, the team leader of RIKEN, and a group such as Chiba University, aiming for national approval. Immune cells called NKT cells created from iPS cells are used for cancer patients. It is a treatment that is transplanted to attack cancer.

According to the group, on the 14th of this month, NKT cells produced from iPS cells were transplanted to one patient with cancer called head cancer that develops in the tongue and throat at Chiba University Hospital.

This is the first of three transplants, and so far the patient has been normal.

NKT cells are originally immune cells in the human body, but since they are few in number, they are expected to be applied to cancer treatment by producing them in large quantities from iPS cells.

This is the first cancer treatment method using iPS cells in Japan to actually start a clinical trial.

Ultimately, the group will spend two years carefully checking the safety and efficacy after transplanting a total of tens of millions of NKT cells.