The present invention provides a modified human cancer cell comprising a recombinant polynucleotide encoding an allele of a human leukocyte antigen gene. The present invention also provides methods for selecting a whole-cell cancer vaccine for a subject having cancer and methods of treating cancer using whole-cell cancer vaccines of the present invention. In addition, the present invention provides a method of determining the HER2 status of a cell. Compositions and kits are also provided herein.

The invention relates to multi-epitopic peptide compounds obtained from PSA, HwB and LmLRAB proteins of Leishmania as well as to pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines for use against one or more leishmaniases.

The present disclosure provides materials and methods related to engineered bacteria for use in vaccines. In particular, the present disclosure provides novel compositions and methods for generating vaccine compositions comprising bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus) engineered to express immunogenic polypeptides and immunogenicity-enhancing adjuvant polypeptides to treat and/or prevent infection from a pathogenic organism (e.g., coronavirus).

The present application provides peripheral blood mononuclear cells comprising an antigen, methods of manufacturing such PBMCs, and methods of using such PBMCs, such as for modulating an immune response in an individual. In some embodiments, the PBMCs are conditioned by incubating the PBMC in the presence of an adjuvant.

Use of a CXCR4 antagonistic peptide and an immune-check point regulator in the treatment of cancer is provided. Accordingly there is provided a method of treating cancer in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or an analog or derivative thereof; and a therapeutically effective amount of a PD1 antagonist, a PDL-1 antagonist, a CTLA-4 antagonist, a LAG-3 antagonist, a TIM-3 antagonist, a KIR antagonist, an IDO antagonist, an OX40 agonist, a CD137 agonist, a CD27 agonist, a CD40 agonist, a GITR agonist, a CD28 agonist or an ICOS agonist, thereby treating the cancer in the subject. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and articles of manufacture.

Compositions and methods for enhancing antigen-specific immunity in a subject are provided. Pharmaceutical compositions including an effective amount of an immuno-stimulatory cardiolipin as an adjuvant in combination with an antigen and methods of use thereof for stimulating protective immunity to the antigen in a subject are provided. Administration of the combination of the antigen and cardiolipin adjuvant is effective to enhance antigen-specific immunity in a subject to a greater degree than administering to the subject the same amount of the antigen alone. The active agents can be administered together or separately. In preferred forms the cardiolipin is cardiolipin species (C18:2).sub.4. In preferred forms the antigen is formulated as a vaccine, such as an influenza vaccine. A preferred amount by weight of each reagent is about 10-40% cardiolipin to about 90-60% antigen(s), inclusive.

A vaccine including a vector and a transgene is provided. The transgene encodes a plurality of peptides and is packaged in the vector, in which the peptides in order include a secretion signal peptide, at least one tumor antigen, at least one co-inhibitory peptide and a toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) antagonist.

Use of a CXCR4 antagonistic peptide and an immune-check point regulator in the treatment of cancer is provided. Accordingly there is provided a method of treating cancer in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or an analog or derivative thereof; and a therapeutically effective amount of a PD1 antagonist, a PDL-1 antagonist, a CTLA-4 antagonist, a LAG-3 antagonist, a TIM-3 antagonist, a KIR antagonist, an IDO antagonist, an OX40 agonist, a CD137 agonist, a CD27 agonist, a CD40 agonist, a GITR agonist, a CD28 agonist or an ICOS agonist, thereby treating the cancer in the subject. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and articles of manufacture.

The present disclosure relates generally to the fields of oncology, virology and immunotherapy. It concerns poxviruses, specifically the highly attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), and a recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara virus with deletion of vaccinia virulence factor E3 (MVAΔE3L), each further modified to express human Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) or GM-CSF. The disclosure relates to use of the foregoing recombinant viruses as cancer immunotherapeutic agents. The foregoing recombinant poxviruses can also be used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

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.