ImmuniT Research inc.


Solve the world's remaining health problems through quantifying the power of immunity.

Approximately 470 million years ago, the most evolved immune cell known as the "T cell", having different sensors in each cell, recognizes and destroys even virus-infected autologous cells, was born.

We, as ImmuniT Research, have the founding principle that is to thoroughly elucidate and understand the phenomenon of anti-tumor immunity and to propose methods to guide it correctly, and have developed a technology to quantify and monitor immunity in the course of our research on tumor immunity.

Based on this technology, we will build an immune data platform that will enable companies and researchers to accelerate the development of diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive methods.

Pipeline

  • Code name
    Cells
    Target diseases
    Product
    Phase
    Research
    Development
    Sale
  • IMTR001
    CD62L low
    Cancer
    diagnostic agent, therapeutic drug
    Research
    Development
    License out
  • IMTR002
    Th7R
    Cancer
    diagnostic agent, therapeutic drug
    Research
    Development
    License out
  • IMTR003
    Th7R
    Covid-19
    diagnostic agent
    Research
    Development
  • IMTR004
    Th7R
    Cancer
    cell therapy
    Research
  • IMTR005
    Th7R
    (unrevealed...)
    diagnostic agent
    Research
Code name

IMTR001Development of diagnostic methods to pre-predict the efficacy of PD-1 antibodies in cancer therapy.

We have developed a highly specific and sensitive method to predict the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors (Nivolumab) by examining lymphocytes in the blood.

The method has several advantages: It does not use cancer tissue, is relatively inexpensive, analyzed quickly and are already used in clinical trials.

Patent No. 6664684
Joint research with Professor Hiroshi Kagami of Saitama Medical University.

Code name

IMTR002Biomarkers for predicting response to cancer therapy. (Th7R)

The study on a new immune cell (Th7R), CCR4-CCR6 + CD4+ T cells, discovered it is possible to predict the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors, PD-1 inhibitors or PD-L1 inhibitors, more easily and with higher sensitivity and specificity than ever before using blood.

Patent No. 7175068
Joint research with Professor Hiroshi Kagami of Saitama Medical University.

Code name

IMTR003COVID-19 Biomarker for predicting symptoms of pneumonia.

The measurement of the number of immune cells in the blood was found to be effective in predicting the severity of pneumonia in COVID-19.

Patent pending
Joint research with Professor Hiroshi Kagami of Saitama Medical University.

Code name

IMTR004Development of a Novel Cell Therapy (Th7R) for Cancer Treatment.

We are developing a cell therapy based on a novel CD4⁺ T cell subset (Th7R) that plays a key role in sustaining immune responses.

Th7R cells are suggested to maintain long-term antitumor immunity, and their combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors is expected to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Patent pending
Joint research with Prof. Hiroshi Kagamu, Saitama Medical University

Team

Chief Executive OfficerMasafumi Yasukochi

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DirectorSakata Shusaku

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Outside DirectorKeima Ueno

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External AuditorFumimaro Kumagai

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Science AdvisorHiroshi Kagamu

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AdvisorSachio Senmoto

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News

2026.03.31

Cells that Act as a Command Center Supporting Cancer Immunity Revealed 　　　　　　　　　　　- Saitama Medical University Publishes in Nature’s Sister Journal –

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2025.12.05

Saitama Medical University has been granted a patent (Japan Patent No. 7781419) for its patent application relating to our core technology, entitled “Immunological biomarkers for predicting the clinical efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.”

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2024.04.02

Announcement of research presentation on the function of Th7R cells related to cancer immunity at AACR by Professor Kagamu of Saitama Medical University

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All News
Masafumi Yasukochi
Chief Executive Officer
PROFILE

After working in the development and marketing of health care related products such as supplements at Otsuka Pharmaceutical, he participated in the establishment of the Intellectual Property Department at Saitama Medical University as Deputy General Manager.
He has experience in developing intellectual property strategies for life sciences and has licensed many inventions to pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies.
In 2017, he established ImmuniT Research as a university-launched venture to implement the technology for predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors discovered by Professor Kagami at Saitama Medical University.

HISTORY

Graduated from Department of Physics, Kobe University and Graduate School of Sports Medicine, University of Tsukuba
Concurrently serving as an outside director of Unisys Co., Ltd. and a visiting lecturer at Toho University School of Medicine.

Sakata Shusaku
Director
PROFILE

He joined ENEOS Corporation (formerly Nippon Oil), where he was engaged in R&D and commercialization in areas such as microbial fermentation, fish endocrinology, and bio-based wastewater treatment. He subsequently served as a contract researcher at the Ocean Research Institute of The University of Tokyo, focusing on molecular endocrinology in marine organisms. He later joined Irvine Scientific in the United States, where he served as President & CEO, leading the cell culture media business, global expansion, and M&A initiatives. Afterward, at JUNTEN BIO Co., Ltd., he served as Executive Officer and Head of Business Development, overseeing business development of university-originated regenerative medicine products, clinical trial advancement, intellectual property management, and international expansion. He is currently engaged in supporting commercialization in the life sciences sector and contributing to regional development initiatives.

HISTORY

Graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University

Keima Ueno
Outside Director
PROFILE

After completing the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo, he worked in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley Securities, where he was engaged in M&A and fundraising advisory services. Later, he worked for Boston Consulting Group in management strategy consulting in the media, consumer goods, and financial sectors, etc. From 2019, he became the Representative Director of Dojin Group, Inc. He has been involved in a wide range of business development in the biotech and life science industries, while also serving as an outside director for several venture companies.

HISTORY

Serving as CEO of the Dojin Group, Inc.
Holding MBA from Harvard University

Fumimaro Kumagai
External Auditor
PROFILE

After graduating from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, he worked for a public think tank and Barclays Securities Japan Ltd. before joining Sato Sogo Law Office. He provides a wide range of legal services including M&A, TOB, crisis management, and other general corporate legal services in Japan and abroad, as well as legal support for startups including fundraising, alliances with large companies, IPO, M&A and other exits, regulatory investigation of new businesses, intellectual property strategy, labor relations, and litigation, and open innovation for large companies. He also provides a wide range of legal support for open innovation for large companies. He also serves as an outside corporate auditor of GMO CLICK Securities, Inc. and as an outside director and audit committee member of GMO Ad Partners, Inc. and is involved in the management of companies in various business categories.

HISTORY

Attorney at Law

Hiroshi Kagamu
Science Advisor
PROFILE

Graduated from Niigata University School of Medicine in 1988, and was at Cleveland Clinic, USA from 1995 to 1998. After returning to Japan, he discovered that cancer antigen-specific CD62L(low) CD4 T cells are involved in cancer immunity at Niigata University.
In 2015, he became a professor at Saitama Medical University and based on his previous basic research findings, he presented a method to pre-predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors by measuring the number of CD62L(low) CD4 T cells in the blood of lung cancer patients. Subsequently, by introducing immunoprofiling techniques, he finely classified CD62L(low) CD4 T cells and found that two T cell subsets among them were working in cancer immunity, and named those cells Th7R cells.

HISTORY

Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, International Medical
Center, Saitama Medical School

Sachio Senmoto
Advisor
PROFILE

Graduated from Department of Electronic Engineering at Kyoto University and hold Ph.D. at Electronics Engineering from the University of Florida. After working for Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (now NTT), he co-founded Daini-Denden (now KDDI) with Kazuo Inamori and others. Later, he launched eAccess and eMobile, and served as President and Representative Director, Chairman and CEO of both companies. He has also served on the board of directors of Silicon Valley Excellent Company and Reuters News Agency, and has been a professor at Keio University Graduate School, a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University, and a visiting fellow at Stanford University.

HISTORY

Chairman Emeritus of Renova Corporation

ImmuniT Research Inc.

4-3-17 Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan,
Hulic Shinjuku 4-chome Building 3F

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