The present invention provides a nucleic acid, or an immunogenic composition thereof, that comprises a sequence encoding a cat telomerase deprived of telomerase catalytic activity, or a fragment thereof. The present invention also provides methods for triggering an immune response in a cat and methods for treating or preventing a tumor in a cat using the immunogenic composition of the invention.

The present invention relates to nanoparticles complexed with biomacromolecule agents configured for treating, preventing or ameliorating various types of disorders, and methods of synthesizing the same. In particular, the present invention is directed to compositions comprising nanoparticles (e.g., synthetic high density lipoprotein (sHDL)) carrying biomacromolecule agents (e.g., nucleic acid, peptides, glycolipids, etc.), methods for synthesizing such nanoparticles, as well as systems and methods utilizing such nanoparticles (e.g., in diagnostic and/or therapeutic settings).

Materials and methods useful for generating highly mannosylated pseudotyped lentiviral vector particles comprising a Vpx protein are provided.

Disclosed herein is a vaccine comprising an antigen and checkpoint inhibitor. Also disclosed herein is a method for enhancing an immune response in a subject. The method may comprise administering the vaccine to the subject in need thereof.

A polypeptide for use in medicine is provided. The polypeptide is administered simultaneously, separately or sequentially with an immune checkpoint inhibitor. The polypeptide comprises at least one polypeptide comprising a region of at least 12 amino acids of a self-antigen or a sequence having at least 80% identity to the region. The polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length.

The present invention pertains to: an anti-cancer vaccine composition comprising [peptides derived from a tumor-associated antigen (TAA)] and [an adjuvant consisting of a lipopeptide and an immunoactive substance]; and a use thereof. Specifically, the peptides derived from a tumor-associated antigen specifically bind to a human leukocyte antigen (HLA), a combination of the peptides having the above characteristics is mixed with the adjuvant in an optimal ratio to prepare a vaccine composition, and the vaccine composition is used for preventing or treating cancer.

The present invention relates to the field of adoptive immunotherapy. The invention provides methods for generating phenotypically defined, functional, and/or expandable T cells from pluripotent stem cells engineered through safe genetic modifications. The engineered cells may provide one or more of: 1) targeting a specific predetermined antigen expressed on the cell surface of a target cell in an HLA independent manner, 2) enhanced survival and functional potential 3) off-the-shelf T cells for administration to multiple recipients, eventually across immunogenic barriers, and/or 4) cytotoxic potential and anti-tumor activity.

The invention relates to a peptide of 15 to 20 amino acids deriving from TERT protein, which peptide is capable of (i) binding to HLA class II and (ii) stimulating a CD4 Th response. These universal cancer peptides are especially useful in anti-tumor immunotherapy and immunomonitoring.

A set of target peptides are presented by HLA A*0101, A*0201, A*0301, B*4402, B*2705, B*1402, and B*0702 on the surface of disease cells. They are envisioned to among other things (a) stimulate an immune response to the proliferative disease, e.g., cancer, (b) to function as immunotherapeutics in adoptive T cell therapy or as a vaccine, (c) facilitate antibody recognition of tumor boundaries in surgical pathology samples, (d) act as biomarkers for early detection and/or diagnosis of the disease, and (e) act as targets in the generation antibody-like molecules which recognize the target-peptide/MHC complex.

Materials and methods useful for generating highly mannosylated pseudotyped lentiviral vector particles comprising a Vpx protein are provided.