A method for determining immunogenicity of a protein agent. The method includes constructing a library of peripheral blood mononuclear cells having various HLA-DRB1 genotypes; culturing peripheral blood mononuclear cell CD14+ monocyte-derived immature dendritic cells for each genotype in a medium containing a protein to be measured, GM-CSF, IL-4, TNF-, IL-1, IL-6 and PGF.sub.2 to prepare mature dendritic cells; removing CD8+ T cells from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells for each genotype to prepare CD8+ T cell-free peripheral blood mononuclear cells; co-culturing the mature dendritic cells and the CD8+ T cell-free peripheral blood mononuclear cells at a cell count ratio of approximately 1:5 to 1:20; and quantifying the CD4+ T cells proliferated by co-cultivation per genotype.

Provided are a support for culturing cells, a method of preparing the support, and a method of culturing cells using the support. When the support and the methods are used, an adherence rate, a surface area, and a proliferation rate of cells may improve, and detachment of the cells may be facilitated, thereby increasing a cell recovery rate. In addition, a physiologically active substance may be slowly released, thereby reducing the cost for a cell culture process.

The present invention relates to a method for ex vivo generating and expanding ?? Foxp3.sup.+ regulatory T cells, and therapeutic uses thereof. The inventors performed the induction of Foxp3? expression in ex vivo human induced tumor-antigen specific CD4+ TCR?? unrestricted T cells and the induction of autologous CD8-mediated T-cell responses against tumor-antigen specific FOXP3 expressing CD4+ TCR?? unrestricted T cells. The inventors developed a method to ex vivo generated and expanded antigen specific Foxp3 expressing CD3+ TCR?? unrestricted T cells, committed to exclusively exert regulatory activity, whichever culture condition of stimulation is. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for generating ex vivo ?? Foxp3+ regulatory T cells having the following phenotype: CD3+ TCR?? Foxp3+.

The present invention relates to a method for ex vivo generating and expanding MHCII restricted CD4.sup.+ Foxp3.sup.+ regulatory T cells, and therapeutic uses thereof. The inventors here demonstrated the optimal conditions for inducing Foxp3 expression in naive CD3+ CD4+ TCR??+ MHCII restricted T following polyclonal or following antigen-specific activation. They also developed an experimental procedure to generate autologous CD8+ T cell lines functionally committed to lyse tumor-antigen specific FOXP3 expressing TCR??+ MHCII restricted T cells, pathogenic CD4+ T cells that favour tumor cell immune evasion. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for generating ex vivo MHCII restricted CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells having the following phenotype: CD3+ CD4+ Foxp3+.

The present invention is directed to methods of inducing a phenotypic change in a population of monocytes and/or macrophages. The method includes administering to the population of monocytes and/or macrophages, a macrophage stimulating agent coupled to a carrier molecule, wherein the carrier molecule facilitates macropinocytic uptake of the agent by monocytes and macrophages in the population and is defective in neonatal Fc receptor binding, wherein the administering induces a phenotypic change in the monocytes and macrophages in the population.

Provided herein are binding proteins recognizing HA-2 antigen and uses thereof.

The present invention relates to an in vitro culture of haematopoietic cells, wherein said haematopoietic cells differentiate to form granulocytes characterised by the ability to kill cancer cells. The invention also relates to said granulocytes, methods for identifying said haematopoietic cells and granulocytes, compositions and kits comprising the same, as well as uses of the same for treating cancer.

The invention involves generating a T cell response to subdominant antigens and using the cells to therapeutically change the cellular homeostasis and nature of the immune response. In a preferred embodiment, the cells are generated outside of the patient avoiding the influence of the patient's immunologic milieu. By stimulating and growing the T cells from a patient in a tissue culture to one or more subdominant antigens and the transplanting them into the patient, if enough cells are expanded and transplanted, the transplanted cells overwhelm the endogenous dominant T cells in the response to either break or induce immune tolerance or otherwise modify the immune response to the cells or organism expressing that antigen. When the memory cells are established they are then reflective of this new immunodominance hierarchy so that the desired therapeutic effect is long lasting. In effect, the transplantation exogenously generated T cells reactive to the subdominant antigens is recapitulating priming and rebalancing the patient's immune response to target previously subdominant antigens in the cells or organism to produce a therapeutic benefit.

The invention pertains to a method for preventing or treating SARS-CoV-2 infection by administering SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells which recognize particular peptide epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 spike (S), nucleocapsid (N), membrane, and envelope proteins.

Disclosed are media, kits and methods for the directed differentiation of cells to the B cell lineage. The disclosed differentiation approaches may take primary cells or pluripotent stem cell-derived cells through one or more intermediate cell populations to yield the B lineage cells, using one or more stage-specific media formulations. Thus, media and supplements for carrying out directed differentiation workflows may be comprised in a kit that contains one or more basal media and one or more supplements to be added thereto.