The late founding President of Fujita Health University, Dr. Keisuke Fujita, established the Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science (ICMS) in 1972. Given his profound insight into the crucial contribution of molecular biology for a new era of biomedical science, ICMS was reorganized into 4 divisions to focus on molecular biology together with a new Ph.D. course of Molecular Medicine in 1985. ICMS is now constituted with 6 research divisions of modern biomedical science including two new divisions created in 2007 (see the box above).
THE PRINCIPLE OF ORIGINALITY―the basic concept of Fujita Health University proposed by Dr. Fujita is still invigorating our current research activities in ICMS. Under this concept, clinical medicine and basic medical science, apparently distinctive disciplines should be integrated for our ultimate objective, comprehensive treatment of serious diseases caused by disorders of the biomedical system. Organisms including human consist of a vast repertoire of systems in hierarchy, from molecule, cells, tissue to organ, in which each are mutually reliant on each other to function coordinately in the well-controlled system.
We do suppose that disease is a disturbance of such sophisticated system triggered by either genetically or environmentally induced lesion. To cure disease caused by disorders of the biomedical system, it is critical to understand the essential alternation in the disordered system compared with that in the normal system, the process that leads toward disorder, and the underlying mechanism. We challenge to work out such fundamental and demanding problems building upon the accomplishments of our previously awarded “21st Century Center of Excellence (21st COE)” program from 2002 through 2007. We incorporate the versatile components of Fujita Health University and the University Hospitals into the design of our innovative research and education program. By taking advantage of the extensive resources, ICMS provides an ideal research opportunity for young scientists and doctors―to become leaders in medical science and in society.