The present invention provides recombinant proteins or peptides comprising a mutated listeriolysin O (LLO) protein or fragment thereof, comprising a substitution or internal deletion of the cholesterol-binding domain or a portion thereof, fusion proteins or peptides comprising same, nucleotide molecules encoding same, and vaccine vectors comprising or encoding same. The present invention also provides methods of utilizing recombinant proteins, peptides, nucleotide molecules, and vaccine vectors of the present invention to induce an immune response to a peptide of interest.

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a modified mRNA that is stabilized by sequence modifications and optimized for translation. The pharmaceutical composition according to the invention is particularly well suited for use as an inoculating agent, as well as a therapeutic agent for tissue regeneration. In addition, a process is described for determining sequence modifications that promote stabilization and translational efficiency of modified mRNA of the invention.

Provided are compositions that include one or more peptides, wherein each peptide is at least 8 amino acids long and has an amino acid sequence as set forth in any of SEQ ID NOs: 1-45. Also provided are in vitro populations of dendritic cells that include the disclosed compositions, in vitro populations of CD8.sup.+ T cells capable of being activated upon being brought into contact with the disclosed populations of dendritic cells, antibodies or antibody-like molecules that specifically bind to complexes of MHC class I molecules and the disclosed peptides, methods for treating and/or preventing cancer such as leukemia using the disclosed compositions and/or populations, methods for making cancer vaccines using the disclosed compositions, methods for screening target peptides for inclusion in an immunotherapy composition, methods for determining a prognosis of a leukemia patient, and kits that include at least one of the disclosed peptides.

The present invention provides biodegradable, biomimetic particles for interacting with cells, including immune cells. In various embodiments, the particles comprise a polymer blend comprising a polyester, such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and a polyamine, such as poly(beta-amino ester) (PBAE). The particles further comprise, on their surface, one or more ligands for one or more cell surface receptor(s) or cell surface molecule(s). In some embodiments, the cell surface receptor or cell surface molecule is on an immune cell, such as a lymphocyte (T cell or B cell), natural killer cell, dendritic cell, or other cell of the immune system or tumor microenvironment.

The present invention provides biodegradable, biomimetic particles for interacting with cells, including immune cells. In various embodiments, the particles comprise a polymer blend comprising a polyester, such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and a polyamine, such as poly(beta-amino ester) (PBAE). The particles further comprise, on their surface, one or more ligands for one or more cell surface receptor(s) or cell surface molecule(s). In some embodiments, the cell surface receptor or cell surface molecule is on an immune cell, such as a lymphocyte (T cell or B cell), natural killer cell, dendritic cell, or other cell of the immune system or tumor microenvironment.

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.

The present invention relates to autologous dual-specific lymphocytes, methods of making and uses for the treatment of tumors. In particular, the invention relates to methods producing autologous dual-specific lymphocytes comprising an endogenous receptor for at least one tumor associated antigen and an exogenous receptor for a strong antigen.

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.