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 invention relates to methods and compositions for the treatment and diagnosis of cancers. At least one aspect of the present invention relates to methods and compositions for enhancing the efficacy of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in the treatment of cancer by negatively modulating the activity of the CEACAM1 protein.

The presently described technology relates to the modulation of specific immune responses to create a protective immunity in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and diseases requiring the transplantation of tissue. In particular, the present technology relates to the suppression of immune responses in a targeted fashion, by increasing the functional concentration of the CEACAM1 protein in a target tissue to create a localized protective immunity for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and diseases requiring the transplantation of tissue.

The present invention provides recombinant antigen-binding regions and antibodies and functional fragments containing such antigen-binding regions that are specific for human and Macaca fascicularis CEACAM6 (Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6, CD66c, Non-specific crossreacting antigen, NCA, NCA-50/90), and which do not significantly cross-react with the closely related human CEACAM1, human CEACAM3, and human CEACAM5. The invention further provides methods to generate this kind of antibodies. The antibodies, accordingly, can be used to treat cancer and other disorders and conditions associated with expression of the CEACAM6. The invention also provides nucleic acid sequences encoding the foregoing antibodies, vectors containing the same, pharmaceutical compositions and kits with instructions for use.

The present invention encompasses methods and compositions for the generation and use of cytotoxic T lymphocytes that target multiple viruses or that are specific for multiple tumor antigens. In specific embodiments, the generation methods employ use of certain cytokines to promote proliferation and reduce cell death in an activated T cell population and/or that employ a particular bioreactor having a gas permeable membrane.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells that can drive tumor initiation and can cause relapses. These cells are seen as drivers of tumor establishment and growth, often correlated to aggressive, heterogeneous and therapy-resistant tumors. Novel tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) and tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) specifically expressed by CSCs are described herein. Most of the TSAs described herein derives from aberrantly expressed unmutated genomic sequences, such as intronic and intergenic sequences, which are not expressed in normal tissues. Nucleic acids, compositions, cells, antibodies and vaccines derived from these TSAs are described. The use of the TSAs, nucleic acids, compositions, antibodies, cells and vaccines for the treatment of cancer, and more particularly cancers associated with the presence of CSCs such as poorly differentiated cancers, is also described.

The present disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a live attenuated bacterial strain of Brucella melitensis, in particular a live attenuated bacterial strain of Brucella melitensis is Brucella melitensis 16M vjbR (BmvjbR). Methods of utilizing the live attenuated bacterial strain of Brucella melitensis for treatment of a patient are also provided, including wherein the patient is in need of treatment for cancer, an autoimmune disorder, and/or an inflammatory disorder.

Provided is a method of treating a cancer in an individual using activated T cells or PBMCs induced by antigen presenting cells (such as dendritic cells) loaded with a plurality of tumor antigen peptides. The method may further comprise administration of the antigen presenting cells loaded with the plurality of tumor antigen peptides to the individual. The methods may be used singly or in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Also provided are precision therapy methods customized for the individual using neoantigen peptides or based on the mutation load in the tumor of the individual, methods of preparing the activated T cells, methods of monitoring the treatment, methods of cloning tumor-specific T cell receptors, an isolated population of cells comprising the activated T cells, and compositions and kits useful for cancer immunotherapy.

A peptide or composition comprising at least one HLA-A2 epitope or analog from CEA, HER2/neu, MAGE2, MAGE3, or p53.

The technology relates in part to methods for inducing partial apoptosis of cells that express an inducible caspase polypeptide. The technology further relates in part to methods for inducing partial apoptosis of cells that express an inducible modified caspase polypeptide, having a modified dose response curve to the multimeric ligand inducer. The technology also relates in part to methods for cell therapy using cells that express the inducible caspase polypeptide or the inducible modified caspase polypeptide, where the proportion of caspase polypeptide-expressing cells eliminated by apoptosis is related to the administered amount of the multimeric ligand inducer.