Japan’s Research and Development Project has chosen a consortium, spearheaded by NEC Corporation, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research (JFCR), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and Waseda University, to lead a major initiative. This project focuses on creating a cancer immunotherapy platform utilizing quantum computing technology, marking a significant advancement in medical research.
The project will combine quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), drug discovery, and immunology to design and experimentally validate neoantigens, which are promising targets for cancer immunotherapy. Neoantigens are produced by cancer-specific mutations and are absent from normal tissues, making them potential targets for treatments.
Cancer immunotherapy includes treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which strengthen the immune response against tumors. However, not all patients benefit sufficiently from existing therapies, prompting research into new approaches targeting neoantigens. These antigens are presented on cell surfaces by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and can trigger antigen-specific immune responses.
The project will use quantum computing to explore the large number of possible amino acid sequence combinations and identify diverse candidates with promising immunogenicity. Scheduled to run from September 2026 to March 2029, the project will use AI to predict and score immune responses to neoantigen candidates.
Researchers will assess the resulting candidates through immunological experiments and feed the findings back into computational models and AI-based prediction methods. This iterative process aims to establish a drug discovery pipeline that combines computational design with experimental validation. The project will use the ABCI-Q computing infrastructure, which integrates quantum computing, high-performance computing (HPC), and AI.
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