[Homemade Quantum Computer NMRQCP] Entering the Era of Curing Cancer with Quantum Computers!? The Forefront of 'Next-Generation Drug Discovery' Solving the Ultimate Amino Acid Puzzle

*Original Japanese version is available here.

Easy Quantum Technology Explanation for High School Students

Entering the Era of Curing Cancer with Quantum Computers!? The Forefront of "Next-Generation Drug Discovery" Solving the Ultra-Difficult Amino Acid Puzzle

Published: October 5, 2026 | Topic: Cancer Immunotherapy × Quantum Bio/Drug Discovery

Hello! I'm a KOSEN student taking on the challenge of developing a quantum computer using a homemade Earth's Field NMR (EFNMR) system.

"I hear quantum computers are useful for medicine and drug discovery, but what exactly are they doing?"
Actually, leading Japanese research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and IT companies have teamed up to fully launch a project to design the "ultimate therapeutic drug (cancer vaccine)" that pinpoints and attacks cancer cells using quantum computers! I'll explain this in a way that is easy to understand, even for high school students.

1. Finding the "Markers" of Cancer Cells is an Ultra-Difficult Puzzle!

Our bodies have a defense system called "immunity" that defeats pathogens and bad cells. One of its main players is a patrol squad called "T cells".

T cells look at the protein "markers" on the surface of cells, determine "This is an enemy (cancer cell)!", and attack it. This cancer-specific marker is called a "neoantigen".

To create a silver bullet tailored to each individual patient, we must design an amino acid sequence (peptide) that perfectly matches this marker. However, the number of amino acid combinations reaches astronomical figures—hundreds of millions or trillions of possibilities. If we try to calculate the compatibility one by one using a conventional computer, we quickly hit the limit of calculation (combinatorial explosion).

2. The Latest News: Japan's All-Stars Take on "Quantum × Drug Discovery"

To break through this immense calculation, a joint project was launched by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), NEC, Taiho Pharmaceutical, the Cancer Institute (JFCR), and Waseda University.

Key Points This Time

• As a NEDO demonstration project, a joint development project for next-generation cancer immunotherapy utilizing quantum computing technology has been adopted.
• Utilizing AIST's quantum-AI hybrid computing platform "ABCI-Q", it combines AI and quantum computers to instantly narrow down the best candidates from massive amino acid sequences.
• Establishing a high-speed loop where drug candidates derived from calculations are immediately verified in the laboratory, and the results are fed back into the computational model.

*Reference: Joint Research and Development Project on Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapy Utilizing Quantum Computing Technology Adopted (AIST) / NEC Press Release

3. How Do Quantum Computers and AI Cooperate?

You might think, "If we have AI, do we really need a quantum computer?" Actually, these two have different areas of expertise.

• The Role of AI (Machine Learning): Predicts the probability and score of "Will the immune system react strongly to this marker?" based on vast amounts of past experimental data.
• The Role of Quantum Computers: Instantly searches for the best combination candidates that meet the conditions from the countless amino acid combination spaces using physical "superposition" and "quantum search".

By combining the intuitive power of AI with the overwhelming search speed of quantum computers, we will be able to discover the "seeds of new drugs" that used to take humans years to find, dramatically faster.

4. How Will Our Future Change?

Conventional anticancer drugs often damaged healthy cells as well, leading many patients to suffer from side effects.
If this technology develops, it will become possible to quickly create "fully custom-made cancer therapeutics and vaccines" that target only the patient's cancer cells, potentially ushering in an era where highly effective treatments with few side effects become the norm.

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Perspective of the EFNMRQC (Earth's Field NMR Quantum Computer) Creator

The quantum machines used in industry are predominantly superconducting types that cool down near absolute zero or ion trap types that require vacuum chambers, meaning the equipment is massive.
On the other hand, the EFNMRQC (Earth's Field NMR Quantum Computer), whose hardware I am currently building myself, takes an approach that utilizes the Earth's own weak magnetic field (about 50μT) to operate at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Notes from a Hardware Development Perspective:
Actually, the "NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)" technology I am building is originally indispensable in the medical, chemical, and pharmaceutical fields as an "analyzer for examining the three-dimensional structures of molecules and proteins." An NMR quantum computer utilizes the NMR phenomenon, intended to elucidate molecular structures, as the minimum unit of calculation (qubit).
The molecular world dealt with in drug discovery and the nuclear spins I'm trying to observe with my homemade circuits are fundamentally rooted in the exact same quantum mechanics. My daily goal is first to clearly extract the FID (Free Induction Decay) signal of proton spins using my homemade receiver coil and RF circuit board, and to increase the stability of single-qubit operations. The trial and error of trying to capture the behavior of invisible microscopic spins on an oscilloscope truly makes me feel like I am exploring the same physical world as the forefront of drug discovery.

To the Readers:
At this stage, there are still few situations that directly and significantly impact our lives, but as practical research advances like this, an era will surely come where it brings massive changes to our lives, much like AI today.

When that happens, I feel it's important to be prepared to stand at the forefront without being left behind by the times. In fact, even now, a big gap is beginning to form between those who can utilize AI effectively and those who cannot.

Don't distance yourself by thinking, "I'm still a student" or "I'm not an engineer." It's fine to start with a field you're interested in, so please start by trying to search for just one topic related to quantum computers. I will continue to publish articles on this blog that can serve as that kind of trigger!

• Daily experiment notes and code: Available on my GitHub repository (nmr-qc-project)
• Real-time development scenes and oscilloscope waveforms: Posting on X (formerly Twitter)

If you are wondering things like "Will it really work?" or "How do you generate waveforms?", please bookmark this blog and follow me on X!