This invention describes novel immunogenic complexes, which are designed to trigger a robust host immune response against cancer cells by co-opting the immune system's natural ability to eliminate pathogen-infected host cells. The immunogenic complexes, referred to as microbial mimetics (MM) have unique physical and biochemical properties, which are designed to simulate a pathogenic infection of similar sized bacteria and viruses, permitting tumor-associated and tumor-specific peptide antigens to be presented to immune cells as microbial constituents. The MM are well-suited to mimic a systemic infection with microbe sized particles comprised largely of tumor antigens. Under this framework, tumor cells may be eliminated in the ensuing immune response.

The MM exhibit unique properties, including size tunability and contain antigenic cargo complexed to immune stimulatory molecules, which synergize to potentiate immune responses. The MM constitute a versatile platform for triggering immune responses against cells expressing epitopes contained within the complexed antigenic cargo.

Disclosed is an isolated or purified T cell receptor (TCR) having antigenic specificity for an HLA-A11-restricted epitope of mutated Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) (KRAS.sub.7-16), Neuroblastoma RAS Viral (V-Ras) Oncogene Homolog (NRAS), or Harvey Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (HRAS). Related polypeptides and proteins, as well as related nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, host cells, populations of cells, and pharmaceutical compositions are also provided. Also disclosed are methods of detecting the presence of cancer in a mammal and methods of treating or preventing cancer in a mammal.

This invention discloses the process for lyophilization of the treated cells which comprises the use of a solution containing Trehalose along with amphipathic polymer Polyvinylpyrrolidone. Further the invention discloses the process treating cancer cells, freezing, lyophilizing and reconstituting. Immunomodulator treated dead, but intact cancerous cells were recovered, which can subsequently be used for cancer immunotherapy.

ID Protein targeted cancer immunotherapy. The invention provides a cell-based attenuated live tumor cell vaccine that safely produces broad cellular tumor-specific immunity, protects against tumor formation in prophylactic tumor models, and in combination with the clinically relevant immune modulator s such as antibodies to CTLA-4 or antibodies to PD-L1 can destroy established tumors in mammals.

Disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions for inducing an immune response against tumor cells comprising tumor cells which are made apoptotic by treatment with high hydrostatic pressure and dendritic cells, and methods for producing such compositions.

A cell of the present invention contains a nucleic acid construct encoding a WT1 gene product or a fragment of the WT1 gene product. The nucleic acid construct contains (i) a region encoding a desired fragment of the WT1 gene product and (ii) only AUG as a functional start codon. The present invention can provide a cell into which the nucleic acid construct is introduced so that an expression level of a WT1 gene product or a fragment of the WT1 gene product is remarkably enhanced.

In some embodiments, methods of treating cancer, including metastatic cancers, cancers that are resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, and cancers that do not respond to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy or have acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy are disclosed.

Several embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and processes for the co-expansion of multiple types of immune cells, in order to generate a mixed cell population. Some embodiments relate to the use of various stimuli specific to the various subpopulations to achieve expansion of those subpopulations at a particular time in a culturing process in order to generate an expanded population of immune cells having a desired ratio of the various subpopulations. In several embodiments, such mixed cell populations exhibit desirable characteristics, such as cytotoxic effects against tumor cells that enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

Described herein are methods and compositions relating to the treatment of cancer, e.g., breast cancer, using, e.g., aptamer-siRNA chimera molecules.

The present invention provides a method of stimulating an immune response to an antigenic molecule, by contacting a cell with the antigenic molecule and with a photosensitizing agent, irradiating the cell, and thereby presenting the antigenic molecule, or part thereof, on the surface of said cell and stimulating an immune response.