It is an object of the present invention to provide a conjugate of a biotin-modified dimer and a phthalocyanine dye, which is used in photoimmunotherapy. The present invention provides a conjugate of a compound represented by the following formula (1) or a salt thereof and a phthalocyanine dye:

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wherein the meaning of each of symbols is as defined in the specification.

Described herein are biomimetic Janus particles useful as artificial antigen presenting cells capable of activating T cells in vitro. “Bull's eye” ligand patterns mimicking either the native or reverse organization of the T cell immunological synapse are provided on the surface of nano- or micro-sized particles. Methods for activating T cells in vitro using biomimetic Janus particles described herein are also provided. T cells activated by the biomimetic Janus particles can be used in adoptive immunotherapies for treating cancer, tolerance induction in autoimmune disease, autologous immune enhancement therapy, and viral infection immunotherapy. Also described herein are methods for producing a biomimetic Janus particle.

This application provides, inter alia, antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof, targeting cell surface GRP78 expressed on tumor cells, tumor endothelial cells, and tumor initiating cancer cells. These anti-GRP78 antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, have a high affinity for GRP78 and are less immunogenic compared to their unmodified parent antibodies in a given species, e.g., a human, and function to inhibit GRP78. Importantly, these isolated novel antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, attenuate PI3K signaling and promote apoptosis in tumor cells, while leaving normal cells unaffected. The antibodies and antigen-binding fragments are useful for UPR-targeted cancer therapeutic treatments.

This document provides methods and materials involved in treating cancer. For example, compositions containing a fusion polypeptide (or a polypeptide conjugate) having a tumor-targeting moiety and a phagocyte engaging moiety as well as methods and materials for using such compositions to treat cancer are provided.

This application provides, inter alia, antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof, targeting cell surface GRP78 expressed on tumor cells, tumor endothelial cells, and tumor initiating cancer cells. These anti-GRP78 antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, have a high affinity for GRP78 and are less immunogenic compared to their unmodified parent antibodies in a given species, e.g., a human, and function to inhibit GRP78. Importantly, these isolated novel antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, attenuate PI3K signaling and promote apoptosis in tumor cells, while leaving normal cells unaffected. The antibodies and antigen-binding fragments are useful for UPR-targeted cancer therapeutic treatments.

An immunoconjugate includes an anti-Globo H antibody, or a binding fragment thereof, and a therapeutic agent or a label, having the formula: Ab(LD).sub.m, wherein Ab is the anti-Globo H antibody or the binding fragment thereof, L is a linker or a direct bond, D is the therapeutic agent or the label, and m is an integer from 1 to 8. The antibody may be a monoclonal antibody, which may be a humanized antibody. A method for treating a cancer includes administering to a subject in need of such treatment a pharmaceutically effective amount of an immunoconjugate containing an antibody against Globo H, or a binding fragment thereof, and a therapeutic agent covalently conjugated with the antibody.

Provided are conjugates comprising a carbon monoxide (CO)-releasing molecule (CORM) conjugated to a targeting moiety that binds to a cell surface molecule of a target cell. In certain embodiments, the CORM is a photoactivatable CORM (photoCORM). According to some embodiments, the target cell is a cancer cell, and the targeting moiety (e.g., an antibody) specifically binds a tumor antigen present on the cancer cell. Also provided are compositions comprising the conjugates of the present disclosure, and methods of using the conjugates of the present disclosure, e.g., to treat an individual having cancer.

Provided herein are oligomeric reagents, including oligomeric reagents of streptavidin or a streptavidin mutein, compositions thereof, and methods for manufacturing oligomeric reagents, including methods for reliably manufacturing oligomeric particle reagents of a desired size. In some cases, the reagents are oligomeric particle reagents containing a plurality of binding sites for agents, and thus the one or more agents are multimerized by reversibly binding to the oligomeric particle reagent, e.g., thereby creating a multimerized oligomeric particle reagent, having stimulatory agents multimerized thereon. Also provided are methods for using the oligomeric reagents for incubation or culturing, such as to induce stimulation of expansion, activation, and/or survival, of a composition of cells such as a population of lymphocytes. In some aspects, the disclosure provides methods and reagents for the stimulation, survival, persistence, activation, or other effect of cell populations that involve binding of agents to a molecule on the cell surface.

Provided herein are oligomeric reagents, including oligomeric reagents of streptavidin or a streptavidin mutein, compositions thereof, and methods for manufacturing oligomeric reagents, including methods for reliably manufacturing oligomeric particle reagents of a desired size. In some cases, the reagents are oligomeric particle reagents containing a plurality of binding sites for agents, and thus the one or more agents are multimerized by reversibly binding to the oligomeric particle reagent, e.g., thereby creating a multimerized oligomeric particle reagent, having stimulatory agents multimerized thereon. Also provided are methods for using the oligomeric reagents for incubation or culturing, such as to induce stimulation of expansion, activation, and/or survival, of a composition of cells such as a population of lymphocytes. In some aspects, the disclosure provides methods and reagents for the stimulation, survival, persistence, activation, or other effect of cell populations that involve binding of agents to a molecule on the cell surface.

The invention provides a novel trifunctional targeting construct and related compositions and methods that are useful in therapeutic, diagnostic (including imaging) of various biological and/or pathological conditions and diseases such as cancers and diabetes. The trifunctional targeting construct of the invention provides enhanced clearing step and reduced non-specific background via complete clearance of undesired antibody conjugates.