Astellas Pharma’s Business and Research Framework
Astellas Pharma is a global life science company dedicated to transforming scientific progress into “value” for patients. The company focuses its research on key areas such as cancer immunotherapy, regeneration and preservation of vision, gene therapy, and targeted protein degradation, aiming to continuously develop innovative therapies that directly address the causes of diseases.
In October 2023, Astellas Pharma established the TME iLab, an open innovation hub for cancer immunotherapy research, in Kashiwanoha, Chiba Prefecture. At the TME iLab, cutting-edge spatial omics instruments such as Orion™ (RareCyte, the first unit in Japan), CosMx™ SMI (Bruker), and Xenium (10x Genomics) are operational, advancing the understanding of the tumor microenvironment, a key challenge in refractory cancer research.
Importance of Spatial Omics
A mass of tissue containing cancer cells is referred to as a “tumor,” and the biological phenomena occurring within the tumor are known as the “tumor microenvironment.” It goes without saying that the precise analysis of the tumor microenvironment is essential for developing cancer therapies. Research using methods such as flow cytometry and single-cell RNA-seq, which break down tumors into single cells for analysis, has revealed that tumors contain not only cancer cells but also diverse groups of cells with various functions. However, these methods do not provide information about the spatial relationships between cells within the tumor, limiting the ability to predict interactions within the tumor. The recently developed “spatial omics analysis” addresses this limitation. By detecting multiple types of proteins and RNA simultaneously on a single tumor section, it is now possible to analyze the functions of individual cells and their proximity to other cells with specific functions. Through spatial omics analysis of human clinical specimens, we hope to discover new therapeutic targets. Furthermore, comparing tumors before and after the administration of certain drugs will help verify their mechanisms of action and identify compatible combination therapies.

Staining image of human gastric cancer specimen
Pink: CD8a, Orange: CD4, Red: Granzyme B, Yellow: alphaSMA, Blue: CD20, Green: CD68, Cyan: Pan-Cytokeratin
TME iLab as a Platform for Open Innovation
Scientific progress has enabled the creation of numerous effective drugs and the establishment of comprehensive medical systems, including testing and prevention, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the five-year survival rate for cancer. As a result, humanity can now tackle more complex diseases. Therapeutic modalities have diversified and become more complex, ranging from small molecules, antibodies, and cells to mRNA and viruses. Consequently, partnerships with external entities such as academia, biotech ventures, and core hospitals are becoming increasingly important for pharmaceutical companies conducting drug discovery research.
Astellas Pharma envisions the Kashiwanoha TME iLab as a hub for external collaboration and open innovation. The facilities, including Orion™ , CosMx™ , and Xenium, are available to external researchers under non-collaborative research conditions. We hope that informal communication among researchers through spatial omics analysis will spark new ideas and innovations.
Author: Shinnosuke Nakao (Astellas Pharma Inc., Head of TME Research, Immuno-Oncology)