Compositions and methods for editing, e.g., altering a DNA sequence, within a PD1 gene are provided. Compositions and methods for cell-based therapy are provided.

The present disclosure provides an artificial adjuvant vector cell inducing an immune response to a spike protein of a coronavirus, a pharmaceutical composition containing the cell, and use of the cell and the composition. According to the present disclosure, the cell can be an artificial adjuvant vector cell (aAVC) expressing a spike protein of a coronavirus.

Described herein are methods and compositions for selective activation of cells using variant cytokine receptor and cytokine pairs, wherein the cytokine receptors comprise an extracellular domain (ECD) of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR). In certain embodiments, the methods and compositions described herein are useful for exclusive activation of cells for adoptive cell transfer therapy. Thus, included herein are methods of producing cells expressing variant receptors that are selectively activated by a cytokine that does not bind its native receptor. Also disclosed herein are methods of treating a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject cells expressing an variant receptor comprising an extracellular domain of G-CSFR and co-administering a variant cytokine that activates the variant receptor.

This disclosure provides compositions and methods for improving immunotherapy, specifically against diseases like HIV or lymphoma that manifest within B cell follicles.

The present invention provides compositions and methods comprising CAR T cells that secrete neuraminidase (e.g., C. perfringens neuraminidase (CpNA)). Compositions and methods of treatment are also provided.

Recombinant adenoviruses expressing the extracellular (EC) and transmembrane (TM) domains of human HER2 (HER2ECTM) are described. The recombinant adenoviruses express a chimeric fiber protein having the adenovirus type 35 (Ad5) shaft and knob domains, which facilitates transduction of human dendritic cells by the recombinant HER2ECTM expressing adenovirus. Compositions that include dendritic cells transduced by the recombinant adenovirus and their use for treating HER-positive tumors is described.

Provided are methods for activating an antigen-presenting cell and eliciting an immune response by inducing an inducible pattern recognition receptor adapter, or adapter fragment, and CD40 activity. Also provided are nucleic acid compositions comprising sequences coding for chimeric proteins that include an inducible CD40 peptide and an inducible pattern recognition receptor adapter or adapter fragment.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for cell-based immunotherapies that simultaneously target the tumor microenvironment (TME) via NKG2D ligands and tumor cells via tumor-associated antigens, specifically using immune effector cells as the platform due to their reduced toxicity against normal tissue. In some embodiments, immune effector cells co-express an NKG2D cytotoxic CAR and a CAR directed against a tumor-associated antigen that provides costimulatory signals to the immune effector cell, thus killing only in the presence of both antigens specifically within the TME. In contrast, within normal tissue that might express the tumor-associated antigen, but where self-HLA is also expressed, the costimulatory signal by itself is insufficient for immune effector cell activation, thereby preventing off-tumor toxicity.

The present disclosure provides orthogonal chimeric cytokine receptor/orthogonal cytokine pairs and compositions and methods for modified immune cells or precursors thereof (e.g., modified T cells) comprising an orthogonal chimeric cytokine receptor (e.g., an oIL2R-IL9R chimeric receptor) and a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or a T cell receptor (TCR). The present disclosure further provides an oncolytic adenoviral vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an orthogonal cytokine (e.g., oIL2), as well as methods of using the modified cells and the vector for treating cancer in a subject in need thereof.

The present disclosure provides modified cell(s), i.e., immune cell(s) or precursor cell(s) thereof, wherein the cell(s) are engineered to express a) a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), and b) a variant of a B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family protein, wherein the variant confers resistance to a cytotoxic inhibitor of the Bcl-2 family protein. Also provided are methods and uses of the modified cells, e.g., for treating at least one sign and/or symptom of cancer. Related nucleic acids, vectors, and pharmaceutical compositions are also provided.