Disclosed are cysteine variants of interleukin-11 (IL-11) and methods of making and using such proteins in therapeutic applications.

Provided is a cytokine combination for treating a tumor and/or preventing recurrence or metastasis of the tumor. The cytokine combination comprising at least three cytokines selected from the following groups: IL12 or a functional variant thereof, GMCSF or a functional variant thereof, FLT3L or a functional variant thereof, IL2 or a functional variant thereof, IL15 or a functional variant thereof, IL21 or a functional variant thereof, and IL7 or a functional variant thereof. Also provided is a nucleic acid molecule encoding the cytokine combination and a vector thereof, a cell, a pharmaceutical composition, and a application thereof for the manufacture of a drug for treating the tumor and/or preventing recurrence or metastasis of the tumor.

The present invention generally relates to mutant interleukin-7 polypeptides, immunoconjugates, particularly immunoconjugates comprising a mutant interleukin-7 polypeptide and an antibody that binds to PD-1. In addition, the invention relates to polynucleotide molecules encoding the mutant interleukin-7 polypeptides or the immunoconjugates, and vectors and host cells comprising such polynucleotide molecules. The invention further relates to methods for producing the mutant interleukin-7 polypeptides, immunoconjugates, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, and uses thereof.

The present disclosure provides methods for genetically modifying lymphocytes and methods for performing adoptive cellular therapy that include transducing T cells and/or NK cells. The methods can include inhibitory RNA molecule(s) and/or engineered signaling polypeptides that can include a lymphoproliferative element, and/or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), for example a microenvironment restricted biologic CAR (MRB-CAR). Additional elements of such engineered signaling polypeptides are provided herein, such as those that drive proliferation and regulatory elements therefor, as well as replication incompetent recombinant retroviral particles and packaging cell lines and methods of making the same. Numerous elements and methods for regulating transduced and/or genetically modified T cells and/or NK cells are provided, such as, for example, those including riboswitches, MRB-CARs, recognition domains, and/or pH-modulating agents.

The present invention provides a genetically recombinant vaccinia virus effective in preventing or treating cancer. Specifically, the present invention provides a vaccinia virus comprising two polynucleotides, a polynucleotide encoding IL-7 and a polynucleotide encoding IL-12; a combination kit of two vaccinia viruses, a vaccinia virus comprising a polynucleotide encoding IL-7 and a vaccinia virus comprising a polynucleotide encoding IL-12; and use of the two vaccinia viruses in combination.

The present disclosure provides methods for genetically modifying lymphocytes and methods for performing adoptive cellular therapy that include transducing T cells and/or NK cells without prior ex vivo stimulation. The methods typically include engineered signaling polypeptides that can include a lymphoproliferative element, and/or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), for example a microenvironment restricted CAR. Additional elements of such engineered signaling polypeptides are provided herein, as well as vectors, such as retroviral vectors, packaging cell lines and methods of making the same. Furthermore, recombinant retroviruses and methods of making the same are provided. Numerous controls are provided, including riboswitches that are controlled, for example in vivo, by nucleoside analogues.

An object of the present invention is to provide CAR-expressing T cells that coexpress a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and a T cell immune function-enhancing factor and have a high immunity-inducing effect and antitumor activity, and to provide a CAR expression vector for the preparation of the CAR-expressing T cells.

A CAR expression vector comprises a nucleic acid encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and a nucleic acid encoding a T cell immune function-enhancing factor, wherein the nucleic acid encoding an immune function-enhancing factor is a nucleic acid encoding interleukin-7 and a nucleic acid encoding CCL19, a nucleic acid encoding a dominant negative mutant of SHP-1, or a nucleic acid encoding a dominant negative mutant of SHP-2, or a CAR-expressing T cell introduced with the CAR expression vector are prepared.

IL-7Rα ligands and compounds comprising IL-7Rα ligands are disclosed. The IL-7Rα binding compounds include fusion proteins comprising the IL-7Rα ligands and can act as IL-7R agonists.

The present disclosure relates to the field of cell therapy, and more specifically, to improving CAR and/or TCR function through improvement of the tumor microenvironment via improvement in cytokine signaling.

The invention features multi-specific fusion protein complexes with one domain comprising IL-15 or a functional variant and a binding domain specific to IL-7 or IL-21.