Disclosed herein are methods of using immune cells expressing chimeric receptors and bipartite targeting ligands for immunotherapy of cancer and other diseases.

The present invention discloses the identification and isolation of novel MHC class II epitopes derived from the cancer antigen, NY ESO-1. The novel MHC class II epitopes from NY-EsO-1 are recognized by CD4.sup.+ T lymphocytes in an HLA class II restricted manner, in particular HLA-DR or HLA-DP restricted. The products of the gene are promising candidates for immunotherapeutic strategies for the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of patients with cancer.

This invention relates to modified T cells that inducibly express a bioactive molecule, such as IL-7, and constitutively expresses an antigen receptor, such as a T cell receptor or chimeric antigen receptor that binds to a tumour antigen. The modified T cells may comprise a nucleic acid construct that comprises a first nucleotide sequence encoding the bioactive molecule, a second nucleotide sequence encoding the antigen receptor; an inducible promoter operably linked to the first nucleotide sequence and a constitutive promoter operably linked to the second nucleotide. Nucleic acid constructs and vectors are provided, as well as T cells comprising such constructs and vectors and therapeutic methods and uses thereof.

Provided are modified immune cells including tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) or B cells, a composition comprising the immune cells, and a method of treating neoplastic or cancer conditions comprising administering to a subject the immune cells.

Provided are chimeric antigen receptors having the hinge, transmembrane region, and/or intracellular domain of LILRB1, or functional fragments or variants thereof. Also provided herein are cells comprising the LILRB1 based receptors, and methods of making and using same.

The present invention relates to efficient methods for providing antigen-specific lymphoid cells. These lymphoid cells may be used to provide antigen specific T cell receptors having a defined MHC restriction and to identify immunologically relevant T cell epitopes. Furthermore, the present invention relates to antigen-specific T cell receptors and T cell epitopes and their use in immunotherapy.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for a modified immune cell or precursor cell thereof comprising an inducible expression system. Also provided are gene edited modified immune cells suitable for T cell therapy. Methods of treatment using modified immune cells of the present invention are also provided.

The invention relates to methods and materials that can be used to product cytotoxic T cells that target cancer cells expressing the cancer-testis antigen NY ESO-1. Illustrative embodiments of the invention include peripheral blood stem cells transduced with a lentiviral vector that comprises a codon optimized TCR alpha and beta chain polypeptides specific for NY ESO-1. These gene-modified cells are useful, for example, in a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation setting to treat patients diagnosed with NY ESO-1 positive cancers.

The present invention provides a cell-based platform for controllable, regionalized, and cost-effective delivery of immunomodulator and other therapeutic proteins, which is widely applicable in cancer immunotherapy.

A method of carrying out adoptive immunotherapy by administering a subject an antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) preparation in a treatment-effective amount is described. In the method, the CTL preparation is preferably administered as a preparation of an in vitro antigen-stimulated and expanded primate CTL population, the CTL population: (i) depleted of FoxP3+ T lymphocytes prior to antigen stimulation, (ii) antigen-stimulated in vitro in the presence of interleukin-21; or (iii) both depleted of FoxP3+ T lymphocytes prior to antigen stimulation and then antigen-stimulated in vitro in the presence of interleukin-21. Methods of preparing such compositions, and compositions useful for carrying out the adoptive immunotherapy, are also described.