Japan has a longstanding relationship with immuno-oncology. In 1992, Japanese research scientists first discovered the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) target. Since then, the T-cell receptor has received an influx of attention from drug developers seeking to use checkpoint inhibitors to stop cancer in its tracks.

Since the 1970s, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) subtypes have been classified by cellular variances under the microscope. In recent times, however, it has been discovered that AML's heterogeneity lies within the chromosomes as well. As an increasing amount of the disease's genetic variances are being discovered, it is clear that they have a significant prognostic effect on treatment response.