Noriyuki Kasahara

Professor Noriyuki Kasahara, MD, PhD is a leading faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) within the School of Medicine and Department of Neurological Surgery. He holds a primary appointment as a Professor and is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in gene therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and immunotherapy, particularly in the context of brain tumors, gliomas, and translational cancer research.

Education and Training

Dr. Kasahara completed his medical and doctoral training at Tokyo Medical & Dental University, earning his MB in 1986, MD in 1993, and PhD in 1994 with a focus on endocrinology. He subsequently pursued residency training in laboratory medicine and postdoctoral fellowship in gene therapy at UCSF and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Research Focus

His laboratory is dedicated to the development of gene therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and immunotherapy for translational applications in cancer treatment, with a strong emphasis on glioblastoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and regenerative medicine. A major area of innovation involves the use of retroviral replicating vectors (RRVs) to deliver suicide gene therapy and immune-modulating agents directly to tumors, thereby enhancing antitumor immunity while minimizing systemic toxicity.

Key Achievements

Dr. Kasahara’s work has led to the development of Toca 511 (vocimagene amiretrorepvec), a clinically advanced retroviral vector currently in Phase 1 trials for recurrent high-grade glioma. His research has demonstrated durable complete responses in some patients, highlighting the therapeutic potential of prodrug activator gene therapy. Additionally, his group has explored mesenchymal stem cells as cellular carriers for targeted vector delivery, further expanding the applications of gene therapy in oncology.

Scientific Awards and Honors

• Tokyo Medical & Dental University Young Investigators Research Award (1994)
• UCSF Chancellor Julius R. Krevans’ Distinguished Dissertation Award (1995)
• Stop Cancer Foundation Career Development Award (1996)
• Cooley's Anemia Foundation New Investigator Award (1998)
• UCSF QB3 Clinical Impact Award, Global Life Science Innovation Competition (2006)

Grant Support and Funding

Dr. Kasahara has served as Principal Investigator on numerous NIH, CIRM, and foundation grants, including:

• NIH R33NS104454 – GALV-Based Retroviral Replicating Vectors for Glioma Gene Therapy
• NIH R01CA213119 – Retroviral Replicating Vector-mediated Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer
• CIRM TR2-01791 – Stem cell-based carriers for RCR vector delivery to glioblastoma
• NIH U01NS059821 – Translational Development of Replication-Competent Retrovirus Vectors

Laboratory and Collaborations

His research team operates within the UCSF Brain Tumor Center, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations with neuro-oncologists, immunologists, and bioengineers. The lab is focused on next-generation viral vectors, immune reprogramming strategies, and clinical translation of gene therapies for pediatric and adult brain tumors.