The present invention provides vaccine or immunogenic compositions comprising novel antigens derived from the equine strain of influenza H3N8. These proteins and specific immunogenic domains are effective as primary universal influenza antigens. The disclosed vaccines or immunogenic compositions are highly effective in inducing HA specific antibodies reactive to different influenza viruses, mucosal and systemic immune responses, and cross-protection regardless of influenza virus subtypes. In some embodiments, the vaccine is cross-protective against two or more (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) subtypes of influenza with or without the use of an adjuvant.

In various embodiments methods of utilizing gene drive constructs in asexual organisms such as viruses are provided. In certain embodiments the methods involve transfecting or infecting a cell with a modified DNA virus containing a gene drive construct; and infecting the cell with the target virus where the genome of said target DNA virus is modified by insertion of the gene drive construct into the genome of the target DNA virus and a population of modified target viruses (containing the gene drive construct) is produced.

A vaccine includes a recombinant herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) vector. The HVT vector has a heterologous polynucleotide coding for and expressing an Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) viral protein 2 (VP2) antigen and a heterologous polynucleotide coding for and expressing an Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILTV) glycoprotein D (gD) antigen. The two heterologous polynucleotides are inserted into one locus in a non-essential region of the HVT genome selected from intergenic region 1 locus, intergenic region 2 locus, intergenic region 3 locus, UL43 locus, US10 locus, US2 locus, and SORF3/US2 locus. The two heterologous polynucleotides are linked by internal ribosome entry site (IRES). The expression of the two heterologous polynucleotides is driven by a cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early (IE) promoter.

This application describes a modified herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), capable of being efficiently produced in suspension cell culture, and a method of producing HSV-1 vectors in suspension cell culture.

This application provides, in part, methods and compositions for decreasing the immunogenicity of cell therapies (e.g., CAR-T cell therapies) using inhibitors of transporter associated with antigen processing (TAPi) and oligonucleotides that decrease the expression of an immunogenic proteins (e.g., MHC Class I and Class II).

The present invention is directed to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) compositions and methods of their use in cancer and anti-viral immunotherapy. In particular, the CAR of the invention comprises a costimulatory signal (CSS) domain comprising herpes virus entry mediator protein (HVEM) or a functional fragment or variant thereof. CARs comprising such a HVEM CSS exhibit enhanced effector function.

Provided herein are, inter alia, compositions including recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex viruses that express SARS-CoV spike (S) protein and viral vectors including nucleic acid sequences encoding SARS-CoV S protein. The compositions are useful for eliciting antibodies to SARS-CoV. The compositions are contemplated to be particularly useful for methods of treating and preventing SARS coronavirus infections in cancer patients.

The present disclosure provides a recombinant herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) and a preparation method and use thereof. The present disclosure specifically provides a recombinant HVT, where an exogenous gene is inserted in a spacer region between an HVT005 region and an HVT006 region of an HVT genome; and the exogenous gene is selected from a gene derived from the group consisting of a Newcastle disease virus (NDV), an avian influenza virus (AIV), and an infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV); the spacer region between an HVT005 region and an HVT006 region of an HVT genome is located between 8,867 nt and 9,319 nt of the HVT genome, and has a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1.

A transkingdom platform for the delivery of therapeutics to target cells. The system maintains the export and uptake functions of Inv while modifying its targeting away from 1 integrin to other proteins expressed on the surface of target eukaryotic cells (i.e., a cell surface protein) or chemical moieties (i.e., a cell surface chemical moiety) expressed on the surface of a target eukaryotic cell by replacing D4 and D5 of Inv with a binding domain from a heterologous protein via genetic engineering. These heterologous proteins could be derived from bacterial, fungal, animal, or viral genomes. This engineering would result in the construction of a chimeric Inv protein in which D1-D3 (i.e., the non-binding domains) are fused in frame to an alternative binding domain derived from a heterologous protein. The alternative binding domain would interact with a different cell surface protein or chemical moiety, which can in some instances be referred to as a receptor, on the surface on the surface of a eukaryotic cell, thereby allowing specific targeting to cells independent of Inv's intrinsic 1 integrin binding.