The 25th (2025) Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize Winner
Biotechnology and Medical Science
Advancing Cancer Genomic Medicine through Innovative Diagnostics and Therapeutics
| Winner | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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Takashi Kohno Director, Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics, National Cancer Center | ||
Reason for award
Dr. Kohno was among the first to apply the newly developed next-generation sequencing technology to cancer research, discovering the RET fusion gene as a novel therapeutic target for lung cancer. Dr. Kohno also helped to organize a nationwide genetic screening framework in collaboration with industry and academia. The enrollment of identified cancer patients in international clinical trials has led him to demonstrate the efficacy of the RET kinase-specific inhibitor selpercatinib, thereby contributing to its approval for insurance coverage.
On the other hand, Dr. Kohno contributed to the development of the "NCC Oncopanel," Japan's first cancer genomic profiling system - an innovative testing method that enables the simultaneous analysis of abnormalities in over 100 cancer-related genes and facilitates the decision-making of treatment strategies. The inclusion of this panel in insurance coverage marked a turning point in the full-scale launch of cancer genomic medicine in Japan. In the challenging field of treatment strategies targeting loss-of-function genetic mutations, which is considered hard to treat, he has also identified novel synthetic lethal targets for loss-of-function mutations in chromatin regulatory factors, greatly expanding therapeutic possibilities. Utilizing the big data accumulated at the Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics (C-CAT) is expected to accelerate clinical research and drug discovery, which will pave the way for the creation of innovative molecular-targeted therapies originating from Japan. As described above, Dr. Kohno has successfully translated highly advanced basic research into clinical practice, thereby making significant contributions to the expansion and advancement of cancer genomic medicine.
Dr. Kohno is therefore selected as the recipient of the 25th Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize in the field of Biotechnology and Medical Science for the aforementioned reasons.