The Kanazawa University Cancer Research Institute is the only cancer research institute in Japan that is part of a national university. In 2006, it was reorganized from three departments and one center into two departments and two centers: the Department of Molecular Cancer Cell Biology, the Department of Cancer Biomedicine, the Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, and the Molecular and Cellular Targeting Translational Oncology Center.
The institute has worked to educate researchers and conduct cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, including the discovery of proteolytic enzymes related to cancer metastasis, a new anti-inflammatory drug for chemokines, cancer suppression, basic research in gene therapy, clinical research in cancer metastasis and angiogenesis, basic research in cancer-related post-genomics, new anticancer agents, and new cancer treatment strategies aimed at apoptosis-related factors.
In recent years, the national research environment surrounding cancer research has experienced far-reaching changes with the rapid development of genome research, calls for personalized treatment based on the comprehensive understanding of each patient's genetic makeup and pathologic condition, and societal demands for translational research for applying successful results of individual studies to development and preclinical evaluation.
In response, the Cancer Research Institute brings together the efforts of researchers in a wide range of fields, from science and engineering to clinical medicine. The focus is on explorative and basic research into new molecular targets for cancer therapy, which will lead to improved cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, based on post-genome information, so that the results can be applied in clinical settings. The institute is striving to realize its vision for the future as a cutting-edge research hub that promotes translational research for conquering stubborn cancers in particular.