Dr. Masaru Taniguchi passed away on April 8th, 2024, at the age of 84.
After completing his Ph.D. thesis in 1974, he joined Dr. Tomio Tada’s lab at Chiba University and later Dr. Jacques Millar’s group at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Australia.
In 1980, He was invited back to Chiba University as a full Professor. He became the founding Director of RIKEN Center for Allergy and Immunology (RCAI) in 2001 and subsequently dedicated himself to his research at RIKEN.
I believe that Dr. Taniguchi was one of the most renowned and distinctive scientists in the field of NKT cell research worldwide. I joined his lab at Chiba University as a Ph.D. student in 1998. When I entered his laboratory, it was a particularly vibrant period following his discovery of the iNKT cell-specific ligand, α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Research Laboratory of Kirin Brewery. He highlighted that αGalCer activated iNKT cells exhibit potent anti-tumor activity against various types of malignant tumors. Together with Dr. Toshinori Nakayama, we took on the formidable challenge of translating this anti-tumor activity of iNKT cells into clinical application. The line of research ultimately led to the development of off-the-shelf immunotherapies using iPS cell-derived iNKT cells.
I still remember that just a week before his passing, despite declining health, he engaged in an intense, two-hour discussion with me about how to put cancer immunotherapy into practice. His firm determination to remain at the forefront of research until the very end left me in awe.
No matter the circumstances, Dr. Taniguchi always looked to the future. May he rest in peace, watching over those of us who follow in his footsteps as we carry forward his legacy—continuing to challenge ourselves, as he always did for us, in pursuit of a better future.