The present invention is directed to a pharmaceutical composition including (e.g., for use as an adjuvant) a (negatively charged) nucleic acid comprising complex comprising as a carrier cationic or polycationic compounds (e.g. peptides, proteins or polymers) and as a cargo at least one nucleic acid (molecule) and at least one antigen that is selected from an antigen from a pathogen associated with infectious disease; an antigen associated with allergy or allergic disease; an antigen associated with autoimmune disease; or an antigen associated with a cancer or tumour disease, or in each case a fragment, variant and/or derivative of said antigen. The pharmaceutical composition allows for efficient induction of an adaptive immune response directed against said antigen. The present invention furthermore provides kits, as well as the use of the pharmaceutical composition or the kit as a vaccine, particularly in the treatment of infectious diseases, allergies, autoimmune diseases and tumour or cancer diseases.

The present invention contemplates dendritic cell compositions. The dentritic cell compositions employ MHC class-II targeting signals fused to an antigen or fragment thereof to obtain MHC II presentation of the antigen or fragment thereof. In particular, the invention refers to a dendritic cell vaccine comprising dendritic cells expressing a MHC class-II targeting signal fused to an antigen or fragment thereof. Dendritic cell vaccines for the stimulation of an immune response against melanoma-associated antigen are also described.

The present invention contemplates methods for the generation of human antigen-specific T lymphocytes. The methods employ MHC class-II targeting signals fused to an antigen or fragment thereof to obtain MHC class presentation of RNA coded proteins. Accordingly, the present invention concerns expression vectors comprising MHC class-II targeting signal and at least one antigen or fragment thereof and its use for the in vitro generation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes. T cell clones and T cell receptors (TCRs) specific for tumor antigens or viral antigens are also described.

The present disclosure relates to a new anti-cancer peptide; a vector encoding same; a pharmaceutical composition or immunogenic agent or bispecific or vaccine comprising said anti-cancer peptide; use of said anti-cancer peptide, vector, pharmaceutical composition, immunogenic agent, bispecific or vaccine to treat cancer; a method of treating cancer using said anti-cancer peptide, vector, pharmaceutical composition, immunogenic agent, bispecific or vaccine; and a combination therapeutic for the treatment of cancer comprising said anti-cancer peptide, vector, pharmaceutical composition, immunogenic agent, bispecific or vaccine.

The present application relates generally to genetically modified arenaviruses that are suitable vaccines against neoplastic diseases, such as cancer. The arenaviruses described herein may be suitable for vaccines and/or treatment of neoplastic diseases and/or for the use in immunotherapies. In particular, provided herein are methods and compositions for treating a neoplastic disease by administering a genetically modified arenavirus in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, wherein the arenavirus has been engineered to include a nucleotide sequence encoding a tumor antigen, tumor associated antigen or antigenic fragment thereof.

A composition comprising mesoporous silica rods comprising an immune cell recruitment compound and an immune cell activation compound, and optionally comprising an antigen such as a tumor lysate. The composition is used to elicit an immune response to a vaccine antigen.

The invention relates to a composition which induces, in a host, a cytotoxic cell response directed against cells expressing an antigen, in particular tumour cells, and which comprises red blood cells containing said antigen. These red blood cells may be in the form of an immune complex with an immunoglobulin, in particular IgG, which recognizes an epitope at the surface of the red blood cells, and/or be heat-treated or chemically treated so as to promote phagocytosis of said red blood cells by dendritic cells. As a variant, the red blood cells may be xenogenic red blood cells. The invention also relates to a therapeutic especially anti-tumour vaccine containing such a composition.

Disclosed are immunotherapeutic compositions and the concurrent use of combinations of such compositions for the improved induction of therapeutic immune responses and/or for the prevention, amelioration and/or treatment of disease, including, but not limited to, cancer and infectious disease.

The present invention relates to a nucleic acid sequence, comprising or coding for a coding region, encoding at least one peptide or protein comprising a tumour antigen or a fragment, variant or derivative thereof, at least one histone stem-loop and a poly(A) sequence or a polyadenylation signal. Furthermore the present invention provides the use of the nucleic acid for increasing the expression of said encoded peptide or protein. It also discloses its use for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition, especially a vaccine, e.g. for use in the treatment of cancer or tumour diseases. The present invention further describes a method for increasing the expression of a peptide or protein comprising a tumour antigen or a fragment, variant or derivative thereof, using the nucleic acid comprising or coding for a histone stem-loop and a poly(A) sequence or a polyadenylation signal.

Disclosed herein are alphavirus vectors that include neoantigen-encoding nucleic acid sequences derived from a tumor of a subject. Also disclosed are nucleotides, cells, and methods associated with the vectors including their use as vaccines.