The Japanese consortium led 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 has been selected for a large-scale demonstration initiative under Japan’s Research and Development Project of the Enhanced Infrastructures for Post-5G Information and Communication Systems, administered by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
The initiative, titled “Development and Demonstration of a Computational and Evaluation Platform for Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapy Using Quantum Computing Technology,” aims to combine quantum computing, artificial intelligence, drug discovery, and immunology to develop a platform for designing and experimentally validating neoantigens. These cancer-specific targets could enable treatments that selectively stimulate the immune system against cancer cells.
Cancer immunotherapy currently includes treatments like immune checkpoint inhibitors, which strengthen immune responses against tumors. However, many patients do not benefit sufficiently from existing therapies, driving research into new approaches targeting neoantigens. These antigens, produced by cancer mutations and absent from normal tissues, are presented on cell surfaces by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules to trigger antigen-specific immune responses.
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Designing effective neoantigens remains challenging due to the complex interplay of factors, including amino acid sequences, MHC class II binding, and cell-surface presentation. No systematic method exists to optimize neoantigen sequences that induce CD4-positive T-cell responses through MHC class II. The initiative will use quantum computing to explore vast amino acid sequence combinations and identify candidates with promising immunogenicity.
The project is scheduled from September 2026 to March 2029 and will employ AI to predict and score immune responses to neoantigen candidates, while quantum computing refines amino acid sequences flanking the neoantigen core region. Researchers will test candidates through immunological experiments and integrate findings into computational models and AI prediction methods, creating an iterative drug discovery pipeline.
The initiative will leverage the ABCI-Q computing infrastructure, which integrates quantum computing, high-performance computing, and AI. Developed by AIST’s Global Research and Development Center for Business by Quantum-AI Technology (G-QuAT), this system aims to accelerate drug discovery research using Japan’s quantum technologies.
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