The present disclosure relates to PD-L1-binding molecules comprising a Shiga toxin effector region, a PD-L1-binding region, and a T cell epitope, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The PD-L1 binding molecules and pharmaceutical compositions thereof have uses for selectively killing specific cells (e.g., PD-L1 positive tumor cells and/or immune cells), for selectively delivering cargos to specific cells (e.g., PD-L1 positive tumor cells or immune cells), and as therapeutics for treating or slowing the progression of cancer (e.g., non-small cell lung cancer or squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck). The present disclosure also relates to clinical methods for use of the disclosed PD-L1 binding molecules for treating a subject in need thereof.

The present invention relates to compositions, methods, and kits for eliciting an immune response to at least one CMV antigen expressed by a cancer cell, in particular for treating and preventing cancer. CMV determination methods, compositions, and kits also are provided.

Disclosed are a fusion peptide of CD4 helper T cell epitopes, a nucleic acid encoding the same and an immunogenic composition comprising the same. The epitope fusion peptide comprises a cytomegalovirus epitope and an influenza virus epitope. The epitope fusion peptide can substantially improve the level of cellular immune response to a target immunogen, particularly a weak immunogen, and is an effective means for overcoming the immune tolerance of immune system to an antigen, particularly to a tumor antigen or an infection-related antigen, and is suitable for efficiently enhancing the efficacy of vaccine.

The invention relates to stabilised pre-fusion conformation Class III fusion proteins. The inve ntion also provides vaccine compositions for immunising a subject against viral infections.

MHC multimer expression constructs are provided that contiguously encode an MHC-binding peptide, MHC molecule chains and a multimerization domain in the construct such that expression in a host cell results in production of peptide-loaded MHC (pMHC) multimers by the host cell. The multimers can further comprise oligonucleotide barcodes. Peptide exchange can be performed with a plurality of pMHC multimers to create pMHC multimer libraries. Methods of making and using the pMHC multimers and libraries are also provided. Peptide-loaded MHC Class I and MHC Class II multimers, and libraries thereof, are provided.

A T cell antigen receptor, an immune cell for expressing the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and a preparation method and use thereof. The TCR disclosed in the present invention can be specifically activated by virus antigen peptide presenting cells, so that the release level of extracellular cytokines IFNγ and IL2 and the release amount of lactate dehydrogenase are improved, and target cells are significantly killed.

Described are mutant, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pentamer complex polypeptides, methods of making them, and their use in HCMV protein complexes and compositions. In particular, the use of the modified HCMV polypeptides to stabilize HCMV complexes or unmask a pentamer epitope is described.

An object of the present invention is to provide an effective vaccine that can prevent and treat infection with CMV. A fusion protein of the present invention is a fusion protein of envelope glycoprotein B (gB protein) and a pentamer of the cytomegalovirus (CMV). A vaccine for prevent or treat infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) of the present invention is a subunit vaccine containing a fusion protein of envelope glycoprotein B (gB protein) and a pentamer of CMV as an antigen.

In one embodiment, an expression system for expressing a UL128 complex is provided herein. The expression system may include a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) construct, wherein the BAC construct comprises a viral vector inserted with a set of DNA sequences that encode a UL128 complex. In another embodiment, a vaccine composition for preventing HCMV infection is provided. The vaccine composition may include a viral or bacterial vector capable of expressing a UL128 complex and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant, additive or combination thereof or additional vector expressing a protein adjuvant. The viral vector may be an MVA and the UL128 complex includes five HCMV proteins or antigenic fragments thereof: UL128, UL130, UL131A, gL, and gH. In some embodiments, the viral vector is further inserted with one or more additional DNA sequences that encode one or more additional HCMVHCMV proteins or antigenic fragments thereof such as pp65, gB or both, or such as gM/gN or gO.

This disclosure provides platforms for delivery of herpes virus proteins to cells, particularly proteins that form complexes in vivo. In some embodiments these proteins and the complexes they form elicit potent neutralizing antibodies. Thus, presentation of herpes virus proteins using the disclosed platforms permits the generation of broad and potent immune responses useful for vaccine development.