Abstract

This is the first autobiography by Nobel laureate Tasuku Honjo. How was his "discovery of the century" that saves cancer patients made? And he talks about his current battle with the disease.

In 2018, Tasuku Honjo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on immunotherapy that overturned conventional wisdom. He has made a name for himself as a groundbreaking researcher by adopting American-style laboratory methods and focusing on nurturing young researchers. Based on his "My Resume" series published in the Nikkei Shimbun, he looks back on his life as a researcher and also talks about his battle with the disease caused by an accident in 2022.

He was able to overcome various difficulties, from the discovery of PD-1 and the development of Opdivo to his battle with the disease, because of his pure desire to "unravel the mysteries of life" and his strong will.

A researcher who has saved many lives looks back on his life and what lies ahead.

Author’s Information

Physician, medical scientist (medical chemistry and molecular immunology), Doctor of Medicine. He was jointly awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with James P. Allison for his discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors and their application to cancer treatment.

Born in Kyoto in 1942, he graduated from Kyoto University School of Medicine in 1966 and studied medical chemistry under Dr. Osamu Hayaishi and Dr. Yasumi Nishizuka. From 1971, he conducted research at the Carnegie Institution for Science and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. After returning to Japan in 1974, he obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree. After serving as an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo School of Medicine and a professor at Osaka University School of Medicine, he became a professor at Kyoto University School of Medicine in 1984. Subsequently, he served as Director of the Gene Experiment Facility at Kyoto University, Dean of the Graduate School of Medicine, and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. After retiring in 2004, he became a specially appointed professor at the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University. Since July 2015, he has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster. Since May 2017, he has been a specially appointed professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University. In addition, he has served as a science officer in the Higher Education Bureau, director of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science's Research Center for Academic Systems, member of the Cabinet Office's Council for Science and Technology Policy, and chairman of the Shizuoka Prefectural Public University Corporation.