The Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Cancer (formerly, the Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Leprosy) was founded in 1941 with the purpose of promoting the fundamental and applied medical sciences related to the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases caused by acid-fast bacilli (tubercle bacilli and leprosy bacilli).

At the time when the Institute was founded with the late professor Taizo KUMAGAI as its director, it had departments for three different disciplines, namely Internal Medicine, Leprosy and Pathological Anatomy. In 1944 three more departments (Bacteriology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology) were added. The Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics were added in 1950 and 1953, respectively. Since then, the area of research has been widened to cover both fundamental and clinical oncology. The know-how acquired during almost two decades of tuberculosis research has been applied to the study of cancer. In 1958 the Department of Lung Cancer, and in 1962 the Department of Cancer Chemotherapy were established. In August 1966, an ad-hoc committee of the professors of the Institute declared a new ambitious program on cancer research. Since then, a number of cancer research projects have been subsidized by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture and the other Ministries of the Japanese Government.

Departments of Radiology and Clinical Cancer Chemotherapy were established in 1967 and 1969,respectivery.In July 1977, the Institute moved from Hirose-machi area to its present site. The Department of Leprosy was replaced by the Department of Immunology,and the Department of Microbiology (Department of Bacteriology, formerly) was reorganized as the Department of Cell Biology,and the Department of Medical Engineering and Cardiology was established in 1979. The Tumor Cell Repository attached to the Institute was inaugurated in 1984 in order to meet the demand of investigators throughout Japan and world. Thus the Institute comprised thirteen Departments,a Cancer Cell Repository, an Animal Laboratory for Tumor Research, and a Radioisotope Laboratory at that point.

In 1993 our Institute was renamed Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, consisting of five Divisions of Gene Research, Developmental Biology and Medicine, Organ Pathophysiology, Cancer Control and Brain Sciences including 16 departments and above facilities attached.

In 1997, Cancer Cell Repository was converted to Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, and Genome Research Center was founded in 2004.

The Institutes is often called with abbreviation of "Kareiken" in Japanese.

It is to be emphasized that the members of the various fundamental and clinical research teams in our Institute have worked in close cooperation to accomplish our particular mission of study and investigation. The results obtained with such harmonious cooperation have been published in journals of high standards and highly valued both at home and abroad.

Chronological List of Institute Director

Director, The Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Cancer
Taizo KUMAGAI	(Dec. 15, 1941 - Mar. 30, 1948)
Toshiaki EBINA	(Mar. 31, 1948 - Mar. 31, 1963)
Saburo SATO	(Apr. 1, 1963 - Mar. 31, 1968)
Chigashi SUZUKI	(Apr. 1, 1968 - Mar. 31, 1974)
Tatsuo SAITO	(Apr. 1, 1974 - Mar. 31, 1978)
Haruo SATO	(Apr. 2, 1978 - Apr. 1, 1984)
Kiyoshi KONNO	(Apr. 2, 1984 - Apr. 1, 1987)
Shigeru TSUIKI	(Apr. 2, 1987 - Mar. 31, 1990)
Akira WAKUI	(Apr. 1, 1990 - Mar. 31, 1991)
Masakichi MOTOMIYA	(Apr. 1, 1991 - Mar. 31, 1992)
Minro WATANABE	(Apr. 1, 1992 - Mar. 31, 1993)
Director, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer
Minro WATANABE	(Apr. 1, 1993 - Mar. 31, 1996)
Tasuke KONNO	(Apr. 1, 1996 - Mar. 31, 1998)
Shigefumi FUJIMURA	(Apr. 1, 1998 - Mar. 31, 2000)
Masuo OBINATA	(Apr. 1, 2000 - Mar. 31, 2006)
Hiroshi Fukuda	(Apr. 1, 2006 - )