The present invention relates to engineered peptides and to methods of making engineered peptides. The present invention also relates to methods of treatment comprising administration of the engineered peptides to a subject in need thereof.

An interleukin 15 (IL-15) protein complex is provided. The IL-15 protein complex includes soluble fusion proteins (I) and (II), wherein the fusion protein (I) is an IL-15 polypeptide or a functional fragment thereof, and the soluble fusion protein (II) is an IL-15Rα polypeptide or a functional fragment thereof. The soluble fusion protein (I) has at least one amino acid residue mutated to a cysteine (Cys) residue, which pairs with a corresponding mutated Cys residue on the soluble fusion protein (II), or vice versa, to form one or more disulfide bonds. The IL-15 protein complex can be used for tumor therapy.

The present invention provides compositions and methods comprising an activator of interleukin-18 (IL-18) activity for use in therapeutic and non-therapeutic applications. The activator provides IL-18 signaling activity even in the presence of an inhibitory molecule 5 such as IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP).

The present disclosure encompasses compositions and methods for targeted cytokine delivery. The compositions disclosed herein comprise a cytokine linked to a ligand and may improve immunotherapy by limiting side effects associated with immunotherapy.

The current invention relates to an effector moiety capable of inducing an intracellular effect when present inside a mammalian cell, the effector moiety comprising a payload conjugated with at least one saponin. The invention also relates to an antibody-drug conjugate comprising the effector moiety according to the invention, or a ligand-drug conjugate comprising the effector moiety of the invention, the effector moiety comprising covalently coupled saponin. The invention also relates to a therapeutic combination comprising: (a) the effector moiety of the invention, comprising at least one saponin, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient; and (b) an antibody-drug conjugate or a ligand-drug conjugate, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. Further, the invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the effector moiety of the invention or the antibody-drug conjugate of the invention or the ligand-drug conjugate of the invention, comprising at least one saponin covalently linked to the effector molecule, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. The invention also relates to the effector moiety of the invention or the antibody-drug conjugate of the invention or the therapeutic combination of the invention or the ligand-drug conjugate of the invention or the pharmaceutical composition of the invention, for use as a medicament. Finally, the invention also relates to the effector moiety of the invention or the antibody-drug conjugate of the invention or the therapeutic combination of the invention or the ligand-drug conjugate of the invention or the pharmaceutical composition of the invention, for use in the treatment or prevention of a cancer or an autoimmune disease.

The present disclosure provides, in part, a method of treating an autoimmune disease in a subject by reducing the number of pDCs through administration of a human interleukin-3 (IL-3)-diphtheria toxin conjugate (DT-IL3). The disclosure also generally relates to methods of monitoring the effectiveness of therapy in subjects receiving DT-IL3 for treating an autoimmune disease, and methods of determining continuing treatment of subjects receiving DT-IL3 for treating an autoimmune disease. The disclosure also provides pharmaceutical compositions of DT-IL3 for use in such methods.

The invention provides a nanoparticle comprising: a core comprising a metal and/or a semiconductor; and a plurality of ligands covalently linked to the core, wherein said ligands comprise: at least one liver-targeting ligand; at least one payload ligand comprising a bioactive agent; and at least one dilution ligand comprising a carbohydrate. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the nanoparticles, medical uses thereof, including in the treatment and imaging of liver cancers, and processes for the production of the nanoparticles.

The invention relates to a chimeric monomer-dimer hybrid protein wherein the protein comprises a first and a second polypeptide chain, the first polypeptide chain comprising at least a portion of an immunoglobulin constant region and a biologically active molecule, and the second polypeptide chain comprising at least a portion of an immunoglobulin constant region without the biologically active molecule of the first chain. The invention also relates to methods of using and methods of making the chimeric monomer-dimer hybrid protein of the invention.

In an embodiment of the invention, a composition for treating a cell population comprises an Affinity Medicant Conjugate (AMC). The medicant moiety can be a toxin including an acylfulvene or a drug moiety. The affinity moiety can be an antibody, a binding protein, a steroid, a lipid, a growth factor, a protein, a peptide or non peptidic. The affinity moiety can be covalently bound to the medicant via a linker. Novel linkers that can be directed to cysteine, arginine or lysine residues based on solution pH allow greater flexibility in preserving and/or generating specific epitopes in the AMC.

The disclosure provides, among other things, compositions that bind to and inhibit the biological activity of soluble biomolecules, as well as pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Also provided herein are a number of applications (e.g., therapeutic applications) in which the compositions are useful.