A method of treating a disease or disorder that can benefit from increasing an M2/M1 macrophage ratio in a subject in need thereof is provided. The method comprising: (a) culturing basophils in the presence of IL33 and/or GM-SCF; and (b) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the basophils following the culturing, thereby treating the disease or disorder that can benefit from increasing an M2/M1 macrophage ratio in the subject.

De novo designed polypeptides that bind to IL-2 receptor βγ.sub.c heterodimer (IL-2Rβγ.sub.c), IL-4 receptor αγ.sub.c heterodimer (IL-4Rαγ.sub.c), or IL-13 receptor α subunit (IL-13Rα) are disclosed, as are methods for using and designing the polypeptides.

An immunoreactive substance carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention may stably deliver various immunoreactive substances including antibodies and/or cytokines, to a target site, thereby exhibiting excellent immunotherapeutic effects. Therefore, a composition including the immunoreactive substance carrier can be used for immunotherapy, thereby having excellent effects in the prevention or treatment of cancer or various immune diseases.

Provided herein are cancer stem cell targeted cancer vaccines and methods for treating and vaccinating against cancer. Also contained herein are regimens by which cancer stem cell targeted cancer vaccines are administered, such regimens comprising peptides, compositions, immunomodulatory agents, and emulsifiers. Also provided are the patient populations to which the regimens are to be administered, and the dosages, schedules, route of administration for the regimens.

Peptide-immuno-oncology agent complexes (“peptide-I/O complexes”) that can home, target, migrate to, are directed to, are retained by, accumulate in, penetrate, or bind to the tumor microenvironment, tumor tissues, or cells or compartments or cytosol of cells thereof, or any combination thereof, are disclosed. Additionally disclosed are peptide-I/O complexes that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Pharmaceutical compositions and uses for peptide-I/O complexes comprising such peptides are also disclosed. Such compositions can be formulated for targeted delivery of an immuno-oncology agent (“I/O”) to the tumor microenvironment. Targeted compositions of the disclosure can deliver peptide-I/O complexes to target regions, tissues, structures or cells targeted by the peptide.

Chimeric antigen receptors targeted to IL-13Ra2 are described. The targeting domain is a IL13 variant having increased specificity for IL-13Ra2 relative to IL-13Ra1.

Provided herein are highly-characterized isolated exosomes, methods to produce such exosomes, and methods for the use of such exosomes in treating diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases.

The invention is concerned with a fusion protein comprising interleukin 13 and a regulatory cytokine, for example, an interleukin chosen from interleukin 4, interleukin 10, interleukin 27, interleukin 33, transforming growth factor beta 1, transforming growth factor beta 2, and interleukin 13, a nucleic acid molecule encoding such fusion protein, a vector comprising such nucleic acid molecule, and a host cell comprising such nucleic acid molecule or such vector. The invention further pertains to a method for producing such fusion protein. The fusion protein or a gene therapy vector encoding the fusion protein may be used in the prevention or treatment of a condition characterized by pathological pain, chronic pain, neuro-inflammation and/or or neurodegeneration.

Methods and compositions are provided for enhancing anti-tumor effector immune cells with a targeting construct comprising a human IL-13 superkine and/or a human IL-4 superkine. Cytokine or additional co-stimulatory sequences may also be included to enhance the tumoricidal effects of the cells.

Some embodiments of the methods and compositions provided herein include cells having membrane-tethered, IL13 mutein-directed zetakine receptors, such as those which specifically bind to the IL-13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13Ra2) at a 50-fold higher affinity than wild-type IL-13, and methods of cell-based immunotherapy targeting cancer cells, such as cells of solid tumors, using these compositions. In some embodiments, the receptors include spacer regions, such as particular spacer regions designed to provide certain advantages.