Graduate School of Medicine, Division of Health Sciences
Radiation therapy (RT) in cancer treatment has achieved significantly improved local control thanks to advancements in high-precision technology. However, controlling distant metastases remains a major challenge.
Combining RT with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been shown to enhance the "abscopal effect," in which the immune system shrinks non-irradiated tumors. However, the probability of inducing this effect is still quite low.
To make the abscopal effect more reliable, my research focuses on combining RT with a "cancer vaccine" derived from cancer cells. Specifically, I am paying close attention to the immunostimulatory factors released when cancer cells are irradiated in-vitro with ultra-high doses of up to 100 Gy.
How cancer cells respond immunologically to such ultra-high doses of photon or carbon-ion beams remain largely unknown. By elucidating these responses, I aim to develop a more effective cancer vaccine, ultimately realizing a therapeutic strategy that can control even distant metastases using radiation therapy.