Methods and compositions for altering the microenvironment of a tumor are provided. The methods comprise reducing the population of tumor-residing immune suppressive regulatory T-cells, increasing the population of tumor lysing T-cells (such as CD8+ T-cells) and improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. The compositions comprise the use of cationic lipids optionally combined with autologous antigens, non-autologous antigens, or tumor-associated antigens.

Described herein are compositions and methods for treating a disease, particularly a cancer, with an immune checkpoint modulatory agent and a strain of an Arbovirus or a strain of an Alphavirus. Also provided herein are also methods for combination therapy comprising administration of an immune checkpoint modulatory agent, tumor antigen primed dendritic cells and an Alphavirus or an Arbovirus.

The present invention relates to peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated T-cell peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that can for example serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, or to stimulate T-cells ex vivo and transfer into patients. Peptides bound to molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or peptides as such, can also be targets of antibodies, soluble T-cell receptors, and other binding molecules.

Contemplated compositions and methods generate a durable immune synapse and so lead to activated T-cells and memory T-cell formation by use of selected co-stimulatory receptors and their ligands in conjunction with selected neoepitopes. Moreover, immune competent cells are attracted into a tumor microenvironment after activation of the T-cells using hybrid or chimeric binding proteins that comprise a chemokine portion and that target components of necrotic cells.

Provided herein are compositions comprising a liposome comprising ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules and a cationic lipid, wherein the RNA molecules bind to or encode an epitope of a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein expressed by a tumor. The disclosure also provides a nanoparticle comprising a positively-charged surface and an interior comprising (i) a core and (ii) at least two nucleic acid layers, wherein each nucleic acid layer is positioned between a cationic lipid bilayer, and nucleic acid molecules in the nucleic acid layers comprise a sequence of a nucleic acid molecule expressed by slow-cycling cells (SCCs). Also provided herein re methods of making a nanoparticle and methods of increasing an immune response against a tumor in a subject. Methods of treating a subject with a disease are provided herein.

A method of eliciting an immune response in a patient who has a cancer includes administering to said patient a composition containing a population of activated T cells that selectively recognize the cancer cells in the patient that aberrantly express a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of GVYDGEEHSV (SEQ ID NO: 303), in which the peptide is in a complex with an MHC molecule.

The disclosure relates to a method of antigen loading an antigen presenting cell or precursor thereof with a target antigen for presentation of the target antigen to a T cell, comprising contacting the antigen presenting cell or precursor thereof with a CD300f binding protein in the presence of the target antigen The disclosure also relates to compositions for antigen loading antigen presenting cells or precursors thereof, to immunoconjugates for antigen loading antigen presenting cells or precursors thereof, and use of antigen-loaded antigen presenting cells and immunoconjugates for promoting or increasing a T cell response to a target antigen in a subject.

The invention pertains to a cell population for use in treating cancer in a patient, comprising CD1c (BDCA-1).sup.+/CD19.sup.− dendritic cells, wherein CD1c(BDCA-1).sup.+/CD19.sup.− dendritic cells are depleted for CD1c (BDCA-1).sup.+/CD19.sup.−/CD14.sup.+ cells.

The invention covers the use of certain classes of lipids including cationic lipids in ex-vivo dendritic cell therapies. The cationic lipids enhance antigen uptake, processing and presentation of the processed antigens by dendritic cells to CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells via the MHC classes I and II presentation pathways respectively. Antigen uptake via cationic lipid by dendritic cells result in significant lowering of the population of the immune suppressive regulatory T cells in the tumors and a significant increase of the tumor targeting cytotoxic T-cells. Loss of regulatory T cells and increase of tumor specific cytotoxic cells are conducive to effective elimination of the tumors.

Provided are a tumour antigen polypeptide having the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or a variant thereof; a nucleic acid encoding same; a nucleic acid construct, an expression vector, and a host cell comprising the encoding nucleic acid; and an antigen presenting cell presenting the tumour antigen polypeptide on the cell surface and an immune effector cell thereof. Also provided is the use of the polypeptide, nucleic acid, antigen presenting cell or immune effector cell in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancers.