If the greatest enemies of humankind in the 20th century were infectious
diseases, cancer has clearly become the major foe in the 21st century.
Acquired immunity holds the keys to overcoming both of these difficult
medical challenges. Dr Honjo presents the fortuitous developments that he
has experienced during his time as a researcher, leading to the discovery that PD-1 inhibition
could be effective in treating cancer. This new breakthrough immunotherapy is being hailed as a
‘penicillin moment’ in cancer treatment.