Disclosed herein are chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that target MUC1*. In some embodiments, the CARs have been optimized to reduce T cell exhaustion.

Disclosed herein are chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that target MUC1*. In some embodiments, the CARs have been optimized to reduce T cell exhaustion.

The invention covers the use of certain classes of lipids including cationic lipids in ex-vivo dendritic cell therapies. The cationic lipids enhance antigen uptake, processing and presentation of the processed antigens by dendritic cells to CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells via the MHC classes I and II presentation pathways respectively. Antigen uptake via cationic lipid by dendritic cells result in significant lowering of the population of the immune suppressive regulatory T cells in the tumors and a significant increase of the tumor targeting cytotoxic T-cells. Loss of regulatory T cells and increase of tumor specific cytotoxic cells are conducive to effective elimination of the tumors.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for inducing a CAR mediated trans-signal in a T cell. The trans-signaling CAR T cells comprise a first CAR having a first signaling module and a second CAR having a distinct second signaling module. The present invention also provides cells comprising a plurality of types of CARs, wherein the plurality of types of CARs participate in trans-signaling to induce T cell activation.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for cell-based immunotherapies that simultaneously target the tumor microenvironment (TME) via NKG2D ligands and tumor cells via tumor-associated antigens, specifically using immune effector cells as the platform due to their reduced toxicity against normal tissue. In some embodiments, immune effector cells co-express an NKG2D cytotoxic CAR and a CAR directed against a tumor-associated antigen that provides costimulatory signals to the immune effector cell, thus killing only in the presence of both antigens specifically within the TME. In contrast, within normal tissue that might express the tumor-associated antigen, but where self-HLA is also expressed, the costimulatory signal by itself is insufficient for immune effector cell activation, thereby preventing off-tumor toxicity.

The present invention relates to in vitro methods of producing mature dendritic cells, a dendritic cell maturation cocktail, a method of producing mature antigen presenting dendritic cells in vitro, methods of manufacturing vaccines containing mature dendritic cells, antigen-presenting mature dendritic cells produced according to the methods described, vaccines containing the mature antigen-presenting dendritic cells and methods of treatment and used of mature antigen-presenting cells of the invention.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for enhancing the immune response toward cancers and pathogens. It relates to immunoresponsive cells comprising antigen recognizing receptors (e.g., chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or T cell receptors (TCRs)), and expressing increased level of IL-18. In certain embodiments, the engineered immunoresponsive cells are antigen-directed and resistant to immunosuppression and/or have enhanced immune-activating properties.

Compositions, systems, and methods for reducing viability of cancer cells and treating cancer, as well as preventing an increase of volume of a tumor present in a body of a living subject, are disclosed. The systems and methods involve application of an alternating field concurrently with administration of at least one composition comprising at least one chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-immune cell.

The present disclosure provides compositions, including modified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with reduced expression of Slc16a11 and/or reduced activity of MCT11. Also provided are siRNAs and gRNAs targeting Slc16a11. Methods of using the disclosed compositions in the treatment of cancer are also provided.

The present application discloses humanized antibodies and antibody like proteins and fragments thereof and the use of proteolytic cleavage enzymes.