Provided herein are compositions and methods for the treatment of a disease, such as cancer, using a chimeric antigen receptor or genetically-modified cells comprising a chimeric antigen receptor having specificity for CD20. The invention provides polynucleotides encoding such chimeric antigen receptors, and genetically-modified cells comprising such chimeric antigen receptors. Also provided are methods for making such genetically-modified cells and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same. The invention further provides methods for treating a disease (e.g., cancer) in a subject by administering such genetically-modified cells or compositions. The main embodiments concern CARs with an scFv specific for CD20, the hinge and transmembrane domains from CD8, the costimulatory cytoplasmic or signalling domain from co-stimulatory molecules Novell (N1) or Novel6 (N6) and the CD3zeta intracellular signaling domain.

Several embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and compositions for enhanced expansion of NK cells in culture. In several embodiments, the methods utilize one or more soluble interleukins as culture media supplements at one or more time points during expansion of the NK cell, or other immune cell, the expansion employing a feeder cell population.

A column is disclosed for removal of sTNF-R2 from a body fluid. The column has a compartment, an inlet coupled to the compartment and configured to receive the body fluid, and a substrate disposed within the compartment. A capture ligand is coupled to the substrate and has a modified sequence with an amino acid substitution in a reference sequence that includes a portion of a natural TNF sequence. The modified sequence has an affinity for the sTNF-R2 that is greater than an affinity of the reference sequence for the sTNF-R2.

Embodiments of the disclosure encompass methods and compositions for producing engineered B cells. The disclosure concerns large-scale processes for producing B cells that are engineered to have disruption of expression of one or more genes using CRISPR and also express at least one heterologous antigen receptor. Specific embodiments include particular parameters for the process.

The present disclosure provides T-cell modulatory multimeric polypeptides (T-Cell-MMP) and their epitope conjugates comprising at least one immunomodulatory polypeptide (“MOD”) that may be selected to exhibit reduced binding affinity to a cognate co-immunomodulatory polypeptide (“Co-MOD”). The epitope may be, for example, a cancer-associated epitope, an infectious disease-associated epitope, or a self-epitope. The T-Cell-MMP-epitope conjugates are useful for modulating the activity of a T-cell by delivering immunomodulatory peptides, such as IL-2 or IL-2 variants that exhibit reduced binding affinity for the IL-2R, to T-cells in an epitope selective/specific manner, and accordingly, for treating individuals with a cancer, infectious disease or autoimmune disorder.

Disclosed are novel means, protocols, and compositions of matter for creating targeted immune responses and/or induction of immunological memory towards the tumor vasculature. In one embodiment pluripotent stem cells are transfected with one or more genes capable of eliciting immunity, induced to differentiate into endothelial-like cells which resemble the tumor endothelial cells, and utilized as a vaccine. In some embodiment's genes are engineered under control of specific promoters to allow for various specificities of activity. In one specific embodiment pluripotent stem cells engineered to endow properties capable of inducing expression of the α-Gal epitope (Galα1,3Galα1,4GlcNAc-R). Addition of adjuvants to enhance antigen presentation of the vaccine composition, as well as means of stimulating systemic enhancement of circulating endothelial specific T cells are also disclosed.

The present disclosure provides T-cell modulatory multimeric polypeptides comprising two different immunomodulatory polypeptides, at least one of which is a variant immunomodulatory polypeptide. The present disclosure provides nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the T-cell modulatory multimeric polypeptides, and host cells comprising the nucleic acids. The present disclosure provides methods of modulating the activity of a T cell; the methods comprise contacting the T cell with a T-cell modulatory multimeric polypeptide of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to the genetically modified non-human animals that express a human or chimeric OX40, and methods of use thereof.

The present invention provides a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) which binds a target antigen having a bulky extracellular domain, wherein the CAR comprises a Fab antigen binding domain. The present invention also provides nucleic acid sequences and constructs encoding such a CAR, cells expressing such a CAR and their therapeutic uses.

The invention relates to a recombinant Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) expressing a TAA and the costimulatory molecule 4-1BBL for use in (i) the prevention of recurrence of a solid tumor, wherein the recombinant MVA is intratumorally administered to the solid tumor, or (ii) the treatment, prevention and/or prevention of recurrence of a tumor, wherein the recombinant MVA is intratumorally administered to another solid tumor.