Methods of preventing or treating autoimmune disease are disclosed. In some cases, subjects with having or at risk of developing autoimmune disease are identified as possessing one or more autoimmunity-susceptibility HLA alleles at one or more HLA loci. In many cases, the HLA loci are selected from Class I and Class II loci, for example Class I A, B, and C, and Class II DQ, DR, and DP. In many cases, subjects suffering from or at risk of developing an autoimmune disease may be administered a plurality engineered autologous HSCs modified to carry and express a variant susceptibility allele having at least one mutation in the antigen binding cleft that alters antigen binding and/or specificity of that variant HLA molecule. In many embodiments, the engineered HSCs are CD34+ immune cells that express one or more modified HLA proteins.

The invention relates to a method of isolating a T cell that expresses a T cell receptor capable of binding specifically to an antigen presented by a cancer cell in association with an MR1 molecule. The method comprises the steps of (a) providing a preparation of T cells, (b) contacting the preparation with cancer cells expressing MR1 protein; (c) isolating a T cell that is specifically reactive to said cancer cells.

The invention further relates to a method of preparing a T cell preparation expressing select MR1 recognizing T cell receptors from transgene expression vectors, the use of such T cell preparations in treatment of cancer, and to collections of MR1 reactive T cell receptor encoding nucleic acids and cells.

The present invention provides an mRNA molecule encoding at least one KRAS variant peptide. Further, the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition and kit comprising the mRNA molecule. The mRNA molecule, pharmaceutical composition and kit are useful for treating cancer.

Microorganisms are provided, such as lactic acid bacteria (e.g., Lactococcus lactis) containing an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an IL-10 polypeptide and an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a CeD-specific antigen (e.g., a gliadin polypeptide comprising at least one HLA-DQ2 specific epitope, at least one deamidated HLA-DQ2 specific epitope, at least one HLA-DQ8 specific epitope, at least one deamidated HLA-DQ8 specific epitope, or a combination of (a) at least one HLA-DQ2-specific epitope and/or at least one deamidated HLA-DQ2 specific epitope, and (b) at least one HLA-DQ8 specific epitope and/or at least one deamidated HLA-DQ8 specific epitope) polypeptide, wherein both exogenous nucleic acids are integrated into the bacterial chromosome. Such microbial strains are suitable for human therapy. Compositions (e.g., pharmaceutical compositions), methods of using the microorganisms and compositions are provided, e.g., for the treatment of celiac disease (CeD). The microorganism may be administered orally, delivering the microorganism into the gastrointestinal tract, where it is released and expresses the bioactive polypeptides.

The present disclosure provides a CAR comprising a tumor antigen binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular domain comprising an intracellular signaling domain of an interleukin-9 receptor alpha (IL9Ra), and modified cell(s), i.e., immune cell(s) or precursor cell(s) thereof, engineered to express the CAR. Also provided are methods and uses of the modified cells, e.g., for treating at least one sign and/or symptom of cancer. Related nucleic acids, vectors, and pharmaceutical compositions are also provided.

Disclosed herein are compositions of retroviruses and methods of using the same for gene delivery to a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), wherein the retroviruses comprise a viral envelope protein comprising at least one mutation that diminishes its native function, a non-viral membrane-bound protein comprising a membrane-bound domain and an extracellular targeting domain.

A synthetic DNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection comprises a codon-optimized coding sequence for optimal mammalian expression of a pSARS2 spike glycoprotein (pSARS2-S). The signal peptide may be replaced with the signal peptide from the human IgG2 heavy chain. Systemic S1-specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were significantly induced in mice at 2 weeks-post three injections with 100 μg of the pSARS2-S vaccine via intramuscular (IM) needle injection. IM immunization induced Th1-skewed and long-lasting IgG response in BALB/c mice. Immunogenicity and induction of nAbs were enhanced with a needle-free delivery system, wherein two doses were sufficient to elicit significant levels of systemic S1-specific IgG antibodies and nAbs via IM or intradermal immunization.

The disclosure features isolated polynucleotides, such as mRNAs, encoding a polypeptide that disrupts immune cell activity, such as T cell or B cell activity, including mRNAs comprising one or more modified nucleobase. The immune cell disruptor polynucleotides encode a polypeptide that comprises a first domain that mediates association of the polypeptide with an immune cell component and a second domain that mediates inhibition of immune cell activity when the polypeptide is expressed in the immune cell. The disclosure also features methods of using the same, for example, for inhibiting immune responses when administered to a subject, such as to inhibit autoimmune reactions.

Disclosed in the present invention is a Helicobacter pylori ferritin-based novel coronavirus S protein double-region subunit nanovaccine. According to the present invention, both a receptor binding domain (RBD) and a fusion peptide (FP) of a virus are taken as double antigens and are connected with a Helicobacter pylori multimeric protein (HP_Ferritin) to form a fusion protein RBD-FP-HP_Ferritin, so that antigen multimerization is realized; and an eukaryotic cell expression system is then utilized for expression, so as to form a 24-mer nano-antigen by means of the self-assembly action of the HP_Ferritin. According to the solution, the defect that RBD monomers are insufficient in immunogenicity can be overcome; the obtained vaccine can remarkably improve the level of neutralizing antibodies of a host to viruses; and the generated antibodies have the capacity to strongly prevent the viruses from invading target cells.

Disclosed are antibodies against MUC1, MUC1-CAR compositions and methods for use of these antibodies and compositions to target a MUC1 protein, wherein a cell expressing the MUC1 protein may be targeted and killed by, for instance, a cytotoxic T cell.