Division of Cellular Signaling

Research

Division of Cellular Signaling aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying human tumor development and to develop novel molecularly targeted therapies by combining our own highly sensitive functional screening methods with next-generation sequencing–based analyses.

In recent years, the discovery of driver genomic alterations responsible for cancer development has accelerated the development of molecularly targeted therapies directed against these abnormalities. In some cases, effective therapeutic agents have entered clinical practice within a relatively short period following the identification of the causative genetic alteration, and a considerable number have already received regulatory approval.

Nevertheless, cancers for which truly effective therapies are currently available remain limited, and approximately 10 million people worldwide still die of cancer each year. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in many developed countries, including Japan, and our research is directed toward the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for cancer.

At the same time, cancer research is undergoing a major transformation, driven in large part by rapid advances in genomic medicine centered on next-generation sequencing technologies. Comprehensive analysis of the vast amount of cancer genomic data now available is expected not only to reveal the fundamental causes of tumorigenesis, but also to provide major new insights into intratumoral heterogeneity and the mechanisms of cancer progression. Through large-scale analyses using real clinical specimens, we in Division of Cellular Signaling hope to contribute, even in some small way, to improving outcomes and saving the lives of more patients with cancer.