The technology relates in part to compositions and methods for inducing an immune response against a Bob1 antigen. Provided are methods for treating hyperproliferative diseases by inducing an immune response against a Bob1 antigen; the immune response may be induced using a Bob1 polypeptide fragment, or by specifically targeting Bob1-expressing cells using T cell receptors directed against Bob1.

Cancer is a complex group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Described herein are compositions and methods for the treatment of cancer.

The present invention relates to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, and particularly, although not exclusively, to anti-CD4 CARs, and to their use in immunotherapy, and for treating, preventing or ameliorating cancer, such as T-cell lymphomas, various microbial infections, such as HIV and TB, and also autoimmune disease. The invention is especially concerned with the use of CAR-engineered mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and to novel methods for stimulating, isolating and expanding highly purified MAIT cells, which can then be engineered into such CAR-MAIT cells. The invention extends to genetic constructs per se, and to their use in generating the CAR-MAIT cells, and to transduced CAR-MAIT cells per se. The invention also extends to various medical uses of the constructs and transduced CAR-MAIT cells, and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these constructs and CAR-MAIT cells.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) comprising an antigen binding domain (e.g., anti-TSHR), transmembrane domain (e.g., CD28), and a cytoplasmic domain (e.g., CD27, CD-137, etc.) and a safety mechanism comprising an inducible apoptosis trigger. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to use of the CARs in T cells, compositions, kits and methods for the treatment of thyroid cancers.

Provided herein are modified caspase-9 polypeptides, and chimeric caspase-9 proteins containing the modified caspase-9 polypeptides. The disclosure further provides polynucleotides encoding these proteins, engineered host cells containing these polynucleotides and proteins, including host cells that co-express a chimeric antigen receptor, and methods of making and using the same.

Disclosed are methods of eliminating at least one target cell in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a composition comprising a plurality of immune cells, wherein each immune cell of the plurality expresses one or more chimeric ligand receptor(s) (CLR(s)) that each specifically bind to a target ligand on the at least one target cell, wherein specifically binding of the one or more CLR(s) to the target activates the immune cell, and wherein the activated immune cell induces death of the target cell. Exemplary target cells include, but are not limited to, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) including an antigen binding domain specifically binding to coronavirus spike protein, nucleic acids encoding the CARs, vectors including nucleic acids encoding the CARs, and immune cells expressing the CARs are provided. Methods of treating a subject with coronavirus, including administering to the subject an immune cell expressing a disclosed CAR are also provided.

An engineered cell expressing a therapeutic agent and a reporter agent, the engineered cell comprising a first transgene containing a light sensing DNA sequence encoding a light sensing protein, and a second transgene containing a calcium activated promoter, a therapeutic agent DNA encoding a therapeutic agent, and a reporter agent DNA encoding a reporter agent.

Cancer is a complex group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Described herein are compositions and methods for the treatment of cancer.

The present invention provides a chimeric protein having the formula: Casp-Ht1-Ht2 wherein Casp is a caspase domain; Ht1 is a first heterodimerization domain; and Ht2 is a second heterodimerization domain and wherein, in the presence of a chemical inducer of dimerization (CID), an identical pair of the chimeric proteins interact such that Ht1 from one chimeric protein heterodimerizes with Ht2 from the other chimeric protein, causing homodimerization of the two caspase domains. The invention also provides a cell comprising such a protein and its use in adoptive cell therapy.