Japanese consortium develops quantum-AI platform for cancer immunotherapy
A joint research project 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).
Photo from NEC
The project, titled “Development and Demonstration of a Computational and Evaluation Platform for Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapy Using Quantum Computing Technology,” will combine quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), drug discovery and immunology to develop a platform for designing and experimentally validating neoantigens, promising targets for cancer immunotherapy. Neoantigens are produced by cancer-specific mutations and are absent from normal tissues, making them potential targets for treatments that selectively stimulate the immune system against cancer cells.
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. Responses involving CD4-positive T cells through MHC class II molecules are expected to help activate other immune cells and sustain antitumor immunity.
Designing effective neoantigens remains challenging because immune responses depend on multiple factors, including amino acid sequences, MHC class II binding and cell-surface presentation. No systematic method has yet been established to design and optimize neoantigen sequences that induce CD4-positive T-cell responses through MHC class II while accounting for these factors. 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, while quantum computing will help design amino acid sequences flanking the neoantigen core region. 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 and is being developed by AIST’s Global Research and Development Center for Business by Quantum-AI Technology (G-QuAT). The partners aim to accelerate drug discovery research using quantum technologies developed in Japan.
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