Regenerative medicine · Immune cell therapy guide
NK cell therapy in Japan
NK cell therapy cultures immune cells from your own blood and returns them to your body. Using our partner clinic’s price sheet, this guide covers cost, the process, how it relates to cancer treatment and what to check.
Prices and facts checked: November 4, 2026
What is NK cell therapy?
NK (natural killer) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system that can recognise and attack some abnormal cells. In NK cell therapy, your blood is drawn, the NK and other immune cells in it are cultured in a cell processing facility, and they are infused back a few weeks later.
Treatments using your own immune cells are generally Class III under Japan’s regenerative medicine law, and the clinic must submit a provision plan to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
That NK cells can attack abnormal cells is not the same as proof that a particular NK cell therapy treats cancer.
Reference prices at our partner clinic
| Item | Details | Reference price (JPY, tax incl.) |
|---|---|---|
| First visit | — | 5,500 |
| Regenerative medicine consultation | Suitability check | 11,000 |
| Regenerative medicine blood test | When the doctor requires it | 33,000 |
| NK immune cell therapy | 1 / 3 sessions | 770,000 / 2,310,000 |
| Highly active combined immune cell therapy | 1 / 3 sessions | 880,000 / 2,640,000 |
Tax-inclusive reference prices from our partner clinic’s price sheet. The 3-session course costs three single sessions and includes 3 NMN or 5-ALA drips. Final items, sessions and costs follow the doctor’s assessment and a formal quote.
Worked total (a calculation from the price sheet, not a patient’s case): first visit, consultation and blood test 49,500 + 3 sessions of NK immune cell therapy 2,310,000 = JPY 2,359,500 in medical fees. Flights, accommodation and interpreting are extra.
Step by step
- Online consultation: send your diagnosis, treatment history and recent test results; we organise the questions for the clinic.
- Clinic visit: first visit and regenerative medicine consultation, with a blood test if the doctor requires it. If suitable, blood is drawn.
- Culture: immune cells are cultured in a cell processing facility, usually for several weeks.
- Infusion: the cultured cells are infused back. The doctor sets the number of sessions and the interval.
Because culture takes several weeks, there is a gap between the blood draw and the infusion. How many trips and how long you stay depend on the schedule the clinic sets.
How it relates to cancer treatment
- NK cell therapy cannot be guaranteed to cure cancer; cancer type, stage, how the cells are prepared and combined treatments all make a large difference.
- It does not replace surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Substituting standard treatment can delay care.
- Never stop chemotherapy on your own. Whether to combine or adjust treatment is for your oncologist to decide based on your condition, blood counts and infection risk.
- Having completed cancer surgery does not by itself mean NK cell infusion is needed or suitable.
- Preventing cancer in healthy people with NK cells is not established; age-appropriate cancer screening comes first.
How it differs from other cell therapies
- It is not CAR-T. CAR-T uses genetically engineered T cells and some products are approved for specific indications; those results cannot be applied to ordinary NK cell infusions.
- Immune cell therapy and stem cell therapy differ in mechanism, evidence and risk; “cell therapy” is not one thing.
- Cell count is only one feature of a preparation. Function, activity, purity, route of administration and clinical evidence matter as much, and cell count does not predict results.
Side effects and precautions
Fever and other reactions can follow a cell infusion, but fever can also signal infection or another problem; it is not a sign the treatment is working. Seek care at once with chills, breathlessness, chest pain or confusion.
How to check the clinic
Match the clinic name, treatment name and provision plan number on the MHLW’s public “e-Regenerative Medicine” site, and check the cell processing facility, the responsible doctor and the explanation and consent documents. XIUYI works only with clinics that have submitted plans and can share plan numbers on request.
Frequently asked questions
How much does NK cell therapy cost in Japan?
At our partner clinic, NK immune cell therapy is JPY 770,000 per session or JPY 2,310,000 for a 3-session course (tax incl.). A first visit (JPY 5,500), consultation (JPY 11,000) and, when required, a blood test (JPY 33,000) are extra.
Can NK cell therapy cure cancer?
It cannot be guaranteed. Cancer type and stage make a large difference, and it does not replace surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Discuss it with your oncologist.
Can I have it during chemotherapy?
Never stop chemotherapy on your own. Whether the two can be combined is for your oncologist to decide based on your condition, blood counts and infection risk.
What if I get a fever after treatment?
A fever can be a reaction to the infusion, but it can also be infection or another problem. Seek care at once with chills, breathlessness or chest pain.
Can foreigners receive NK cell therapy in Japan?
Yes. It is self-pay care, so Japanese nationality or insurance is not required. You will need to provide the records the clinic asks for, attend a consultation and tests, and plan for the blood draw and infusion dates.
Start with your treatment history and results
Send your diagnosis, past treatment and recent test results. We organise the questions for the clinic, including whether it fits your oncologist’s plan, and coordinate the visit.
Ask about immune cell therapy →