The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has reaffirmed the importance of human immunization research, but previous immunization research has focused on short-term immune response research, mainly in mice. Although the analysis of cell and molecular mechanisms relating to the immunological memory phenomenon, which is the basic principle of vaccines, is progressing using a mouse model, there are still many unclear points about the human immunological memory. Immunological memory is deeply related not only to infectious diseases but also to the pathophysiology of many diseases such as cancer, allergies, and autoimmune diseases, and promoting an understanding of the common immunological memory as a target for predicting the onset of these diseases and developing preventive and therapeutic methods is extremely important in laying the foundation for the development of medical care for these diseases. In addition, by advancing research on immunological memory based on self and non-self recognition, immunological memory against pathogenic and symbiotic microorganisms, and a beneficial immunological memory that contribute to biological defenses and pathogenic immunological memory, it is expected that new concepts in immunological memory phenomena will be derived.
In this R&D objective, the aim is to create medical seeds that contribute to the prediction and control of these diseases by making best use of recent cutting-edge research technologies such as single-cell analysis, structural analysis using cryo-electron microscopy, bioinformatics, AI, epigenetics, etc. and understanding the immunological memory mechanisms relating to cancer, infectious diseases, allergies, autoimmune diseases, etc. ranging from the micro to the macro in a hierarchical and multifaceted manner.
Strategic Planning, Research and Development Division