The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a detection agent for specifically detecting a cancer stem cell; a tumor antigen peptide specifically presented by cancer stem cells; a medicinal composition useful in preventing and/or treating cancer, said medicinal composition comprising the aforementioned tumor antigen peptide as an active ingredient; a method for screening the tumor antigen peptide; etc. To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, provided are: peptides represented by Y.sub.O-X.sub.O-Z.sub.O; a polyepitope peptide consisting of a plurality of epitope peptides connected together, said polyepitope peptide containing at least one of the above-mentioned peptides as one of the epitope peptides; a polynucleotide encoding the aforementioned peptides and/or polyepitope peptide; a medicinal composition comprising the same as an active ingredient; a prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for cancer characterized by inducing CTL; etc.

The present invention comprises compositions, methods, and devices for enhancing an endogenous immune response against a cancer. Devices and methods provide therapeutic immunity to subjects against cancer.

The present invention relates to Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CAR) that are recombinant chimeric proteins able to redirect immune cell specificity and reactivity toward selected membrane antigens, and more particularly in which extracellular ligand binding is a scFV derived from a 5T4 monoclonal antibody, conferring specific immunity against 5T4 positive cells. The engineered immune cells endowed with such CARs are particularly suited for treating lymphomas and leukemia, and for solid tumors such as colon, stomach, and ovarian tumors.

An isolated nucleic acid that contains a nucleotide sequence that encodes the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 3. The polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 3 specifically binds to stage-specific embryonic antigen 4 (SSEA4). Also disclosed is a recombinant cell comprising the isolated nucleic acid described above, a viral vector containing the above isolated nucleic acid, and an isolated polypeptide including the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. Provided as well is a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that includes a single chain Fv having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 and specifically binding to SSEA4. Moreover, a method is disclosed for treating a tumor by transducing in vitro the T cells of a subject having a tumor expressing SSEA4 with a vector that encodes the CAR, expanding the transduced T cells, and infusing the expanded transduced T cells into the subject, whereby an anti-tumor T cell response is raised.

Provided herein are methods for delaying or inhibiting T cell maturation or differentiation in vitro for a T cell therapy, comprising contacting one or more T cells from a subject in need of a T cell therapy with an AKT inhibitor and at least one of exogenous Interleukin-7 (IL-7) and exogenous Interleukin-15 (IL-15), wherein the resulting T cells exhibit delayed maturation or differentiation. In some embodiments, the method further comprises administering the one or more T cells to a subject in need of a T cell therapy.

Disclosed is an antitumor vaccine including testicular and fetal tissue-derived components. Cell preparations are prepared from normal tissues harvested directly from animals. Such vaccines may be used in the treatment and prevention of different cancers. For example, a vaccine consisting of glutaraldehyde-treated cells prepared from sheep testis and fetal lung has been found to be effective in inducing antitumor cell-mediated responses, as well as in prolonging the survival of mice with lung cancer.

The present invention provides immunoresponsive cells, including T cells, cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cells, and Natural Killer (NK) cells, expressing at least one of an antigen recognizing receptor and one of a chimeric costimulatory receptor. Methods of using the immunoresponsive cell include those for the treatment of neoplasia and other pathologies where an increase in an antigen-specific immune response is desired.

The present invention relates to the field of adoptive immunotherapy. The invention provides methods for generating phenotypically defined, functional, and/or expandable T cells from pluripotent stem cells engineered through safe genetic modifications. The engineered cells may provide one or more of: 1) targeting a specific predetermined antigen expressed on the cell surface of a target cell in an HLA independent manner, 2) enhanced survival and functional potential 3) off-the-shelf T cells for administration to multiple recipients, eventually across immunogenic barriers, and/or 4) cytotoxic potential and anti-tumor activity.

Provided herein are methods, compositions and uses involving immunotherapies, such as adoptive cell therapy, e.g., T cell therapy, and inhibitors of a TEK family kinase, such as BTK or ITK. The provided methods, compositions and uses include those for combination therapies involving the administration or use of one or more such inhibitor in conjunction with another agent, such as an immunotherapeutic agent targeting T cells, such as a therapeutic antibody, e.g., a multispecific (e.g., T cell engaging) antibody, and/or genetically engineered T cells, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells. Also provided are methods of manufacturing engineered T cells, compositions, methods of administration to subjects, nucleic acids, articles of manufacture and kits for use in the methods. In some aspects, features of the methods and cells provide for increased or improved activity, efficacy, persistence, expansion and/or proliferation of T cells for adoptive cell therapy or endogenous T cells recruited by immunotherapeutic agents.

The present invention relates to the field of adoptive immunotherapy. The invention provides methods for generating phenotypically defined, functional, and/or expandable T cells from pluripotent stem cells engineered through safe genetic modifications. The engineered cells may provide one or more of: 1) targeting a specific predetermined antigen expressed on the cell surface of a target cell in an HLA independent manner, 2) enhanced survival and functional potential 3) off-the-shelf T cells for administration to multiple recipients, eventually across immunogenic barriers, and/or 4) cytotoxic potential and anti-tumor activity.