The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for enhancing the immune response toward cancers and pathogens. It relates to immunoresponsive cells comprising antigen recognizing receptors (e.g., chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or T cell receptors (TCRs)), and expressing increased level of IL-18. In certain embodiments, the engineered immunoresponsive cells are antigen-directed and resistant to immunosuppression and/or have enhanced immune-activating properties.

The present invention relates to pseudotyped retrovirus-like particles or retroviral vectors comprising both engineered envelope glycoproteins derived from a virus of the Paramyxoviridae family fused to a cell targeting domain and fused to a functional domain. The present invention also relates to the use of said pseudotyped retrovirus-like particles or retroviral vectors to selectively modulate the activity of specific subsets of cells, in particular of specific immune cells. These pseudotyped retrovirus-like particles or retroviral vectors are particularly useful for gene therapy, immune therapy and/or vaccination.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods variously useful in treating cancer, inhibiting graft rejection, and treating autoimmune disease. The compositions and methods include those in which macrophages are conditioned to down regulate or upregulate the expression or activity of SIRP? or its interaction with CD47.

The present invention relates to an adoptive T cell therapy using cells generated by genetically or biochemically reprogramming T cells to produce T memory stem cells (Tscm) that persist longer in vivo and are superior anti-tumor effector cells.

Methods and compositions for inducing CD8+ T cells to express a CD62L.sup.hiCD44.sup.lo na?ve-like phenotype are provided. One embodiment provides a pharmaceutical composition containing CD8+ T cells induced to express a CD62L.sup.hiCD44.sup.lo na?ve-like phenotype and optionally an excipient. The CD8+ T cells can be induced by contacting them with an effective amount of a MEK1/2 inhibitor. An exemplary MEK1/2 inhibitor is Selumetinib. The induced CD8+ cells can be used to treat cancer, reduce tumor burden, or treat infections in a subject in need thereof.

The disclosure provides methods of performing adoptive cell transfer using IL-15, where the methods are performed without lymphodepletion of the subject.

The present invention provides markers, marker signatures and molecular targets that correlate with dysfunction of immune cells and are advantageously independent of the immune cell activation status. The present markers, marker signatures and molecular targets provide for new ways to evaluate and modulate immune responses. Specifically, POU2AF1 modulation is provided for use as a marker, marker signature and molecular target. Therapeutic methods are also provided to treat a patient in need thereof who would benefit from an increased immune response.

The present invention concerns methods and compositions for evoking protective immune responses against pathogen infection or cancer. In certain embodiments, the methods and compositions comprise a lymphangiogenesis inducer and an antigen.

The present invention relates to the field of medicine. It more particularly relates to peptides, microvesicles containing such peptides, compositions containing same, in particular vaccine, and methods for stimulating an immune response in a subject.

The invention includes compositions and methods to rapidly isolate and culture cells that are potent for use in adoptive immunotherapy. In one embodiment, the isolated cells of the invention are tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) that express CD137 (also known as 4-1BB and TNFSFR9).