Provided herein are materials and methods for treating a cancer and/or an infection in a mammal. One or more mitochondrial protein uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) inhibitors can be administered to a mammal to enhance an immune response produced against an antigen (e.g., a tumor associated antigen or a pathogen associated antigen) present within the mammal.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for the treatment of melanoma using anti-tumor immune cells treated with a PTD-MYC fusion protein (e.g., an HIV TAT-MYC fusion protein).

The technology described herein relates, at least in part, to compositions comprising and methods for isolating and enriching natural IgM-producing phagocytic B (NIMPAB) cells and methods of producing IgM antibodies using such cells, as well as uses of the antibodies produced by the methods for the prevention and treatment of diseases wherein immunotherapy with such natural IgM antibodies and their derivatives can be useful.

Described herein are compositions and methods for treating cancer through the combination of tumor antigen-pulsed dendritic cells and Dengue Virus. The combination of the two forms of therapeutic intervention provides enhanced tumor cell reduction compared to either alone. The cancer targeted by compositions and methods described herein may be a solid cancer or blood cancer.

Compositions and methods for cross-regulation of type I interferon signaling pathways in pDCs for vaccine development are provided.

An in vitro assay is provided for determining the effect of an immune cell on a cell from an infectious or neoplastic disease. Also provided is an in vitro assay for determining the effect of an activated CD8.sup.+ T-cell on a sensitized melanoma cell. A method for improving the specific cytolytic activity (SCA) of an immune cell comprising contacting an immune cell with an antigen and an antigen-independent pro-inflammatory agent is provided. A method for ex vivo expansion of antigen-specific CD8.sup.+ T-cells with enhanced specific cytolytic activity (SCA) comprising culturing the antigen-specific CD8.sup.+ T-cells in a suitable culture media comprising an amino acid. An in vitro assay is provided for determining the effect of an immune cell on a cell from an infectious or neoplastic disease. A method of treating a subject suffering from an infectious or neoplastic disease with immuno therapy is described.

The present invention provides a method of generating a population of tumour-infiltrating T cells, said method comprising administering to a subject a positively charged amphipathic amino acid derivative, peptide or peptidomimetic which is able to lyse tumour cell membranes and then collecting a cellular sample from a tumour within said subject and separating T cells therefrom. The present invention further provides a method of generating a population of tumour-infiltrating T cells, said method comprising separating T cells from a cellular tumour sample taken from a subject treated with a positively charged amphipathic amino acid derivative, peptide or peptidomimetic which is able to lyse tumour cell membranes and optionally culturing said T cells. The present invention also provides the tumour-infiltrating T cells described above for use in treating tumour cells or preventing or reducing the growth, establishment, spread, or metastasis of a tumour.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions relating to isolated CD8+ T cells expressing a disease antigen-specific T cell receptor, as well as nucleic acids encoding the V? and V? polypeptide pairs of T cell receptors (TCRs) of such disease antigen-specific T cells. Such disease antigen-specific CD8+ T cells are obtainable from the periphery (e.g., blood) of a subject having a disease amenable to treatment with an IL-10 agent. The present disclosure also contemplates therapeutic methods and compositions relating to administration of isolated disease antigen-specific CD8+ T cells to a subject, as well as therapeutic methods and compositions relating to CD8+ T cells genetically modified to express a disease antigen-specific TCR and/or chimeric antigen receptor.

A cancer immunotherapy method is disclosed in which induced immune anticancer agents are isolated after being induced in an animal host by intralesional (IL) administration of a halogenated xanthene tumor-ablative compound into a solid cancerous tumor of that host animal. A sample of the induced immune anticancer agents is removed (collected) from the tumor-bearing host, banked if desired, cultured and preferentially expanded to form an immunologically-effective enriched tumor-specific immune anticancer agent composition. That composition is reintroduced in to the host from which the predecessor induced immune anticancer agents were taken, or into another immunologically suitable host in need.

The present invention relates to modified T cell receptors (TCRs) and to their use in adoptive cell therapy (ACT), in particular for the transfer of T lymphocytes. The TCRs are mutated in the transmembrane regions of the alpha and beta chains with mutations favoring the correct TCR chain pairing. The correct pairing of the transferred exogenous alpha and beta TCR chains improves the functional activity and safety of the genetically modified T cells for the therapy of tumours and infectious diseases. The invention also relates to T cell receptor alpha or beta chain, to a recombinant TCR, a TCR complex, a nucleic acid coding for the TCR alpha or beta chain, to relative recombinant expression vector, host cells, pharmaceutical composition and to a method of detecting a hematological malignant cell, a solid tumor cell or an infected cell.