The present invention provides an enhanced receptor for improving the function of an immune cell, and a composition and a cell related thereto. The enhanced receptor is a transmembrane protein, which is a fusion protein consisting of an extracellular domain and an intracellular domain, wherein the extracellular domain is capable of binding to a target cell and activating the signaling function of the intracellular domain, thereby increasing the activation level of the immune cell, and overcoming the inhibition of the target cell microenvironment on the immune cell, thus enhancing the effect of immunotherapy.

Described herein are immune cells comprising: a T-cell receptor (TCR) and a chimeric stimulating receptor (CSR) that comprises (i) a ligand-binding module that is capable of binding or interacting with a target ligand; (ii) a transmembrane domain; and (iii) a CD30 costimulatory domain, in which the CSR in the immune cells lacks a functional primary signaling domain. Also provided herein are methods of using the same or components thereof (e.g., the CSR) for therapeutic treatment of cancers (e.g., solid tumor cancers).

Compounds, compositions, and methods for generating T cells with altered phenotype are disclosed. The phenotype-altered T cells have increased persistence, prolonged survival, and increased antitumor activity and are useful for treatment of cancers.

Provided are methods for isolating T-cells with T cell receptors (TCRs) optimized for reactivity to specific peptides and decreased cross-reactivity to non-target peptides. Advantageously, TCRs of the invention can be optimized to target cancer antigens and peptides while having reducing reactivity to healthy cells. Methods of the invention utilize a novel combination of culturing conditions that increase T-cell activation and allow for validation of TCR activity. Culturing conditions of the invention further reduce culturing times generally needed to achieve expanded reactive T-cells. Because of the robust nature of the activation and validation conditions of the present invention, variants of identified TCRs can also be optimized and validated for their response to peptides, including cancer peptides.

Provided are methods for isolating T-cells with T cell receptors (TCRs) optimized for reactivity to specific peptides and decreased cross-reactivity to non-target peptides. Advantageously, TCRs of the invention can be optimized to target cancer antigens and peptides while having reducing reactivity to healthy cells. Methods of the invention utilize a novel combination of culturing conditions that increase T-cell activation and allow for validation of TCR activity. Culturing conditions of the invention further reduce culturing times generally needed to achieve expanded reactive T-cells. Because of the robust nature of the activation and validation conditions of the present invention, variants of identified TCRs can also be optimized and validated for their response to peptides, including cancer peptides.

The present invention provides methods for preselecting TILs based on PD-1, CD39, CD38, CD103, CD101, LAG3, TIM3 and/or TIGIT expression, as well as methods for expanding those preselected PD-1, CD39, CD38, CD103, CD101, LAG3, TIM3 and/or TIGIT positive TILs in order to produce therapeutic populations of TILs with enhanced tumor-specific killing capacity (e.g., enhanced cytotoxicity).

The present invention relates to a chimeric molecule useful in adoptive cell therapy (ACT), and cells comprising the same. The chimeric molecule can act as a modulator of cellular activity enhancing responses when an endogenous T-cell receptor (TCR) is engaged with its cognate antigen. The present invention also provides proteins, nucleic acids encoding the chimeric molecule and therapeutic uses thereof.

A method of treating a metastatic lesion that presents a peptide containing SLLQHLIGL (SEQ ID NO: 310) on a cell surface, including selecting a patient having a metastatic lesion and administering to the patient a composition containing recombinant T lymphocytes or activated T lymphocytes that express a T cell receptor, or a functional fragment thereof, that is reactive with, or binds to, an MHC ligand containing SLLQHLIGL (SEQ ID NO: 310).

The invention provides immunomodulatory compounds, adjuvant compositions comprising thereof, immunogenic compositions comprising thereof and uses of immunomodulatory compounds as adjuvants in vaccination, for increasing the immune response via the improvement of maturation and activation of dendritic cells, and for the treatment and/or prevention of infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that specifically target CD19 and cells comprising such CD19-targeted CARs. The presently disclosed subject matter further provides uses of the CD19-targeted CARs for treatment, e.g., for treating blood cancer.