One aspect of the present application relates to a recombinant cell comprising a chimeric antigen receptor and shRNA targeted to inhibit the life cycle of HIV. Another aspect of the present application relates to a chimeric antigen molecule, the extracellular region of which is from or comprising the extracellular region of human CD4 molecule, the transmembrane region of which is from or comprising the transmembrane domain of CD8, and a recombinant cell comprising the above chimeric antigen molecule. The above recombinant cell can be used to treat HIV infection, and have stronger comprehensive killing efficacy, longer effective time, and less risk of causing cytokine storm in the environment of HIV infection.

The present invention concerns methods of generating CTLs that are able to target at least one antigen from two or more viruses. The method includes exposing mixtures of peptides for different antigens to the same plurality of PBMCs and, at least in certain aspects, expanding the cells in the presence of IL4 and IL7.

The present invention is based, in part, on the identification of an IRE1-XBP1-cMyc axis in NK cell immunity. The present invention provides compositions and methods for treating conditions that would benefit from modulating (e.g., upregulating or downregulating) an immune response using an agent that modulates the IRE1-XBP1 pathway, or a composition comprising modified NK cells.

Described herein are compositions and methods for signaling and antigen-presenting bifunctional receptors (SABRs) comprising one or more antigen presenting domains; and one or more signal transduction domains, wherein the one or more antigen presenting domains comprise a binding fragment of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule. Various immunological functions of the SABRs are also described.

Provided herein are methods for delaying or inhibiting T cell maturation or differentiation in vitro for a T cell therapy, comprising contacting one or more T cells from a subject in need of a T cell therapy with an AKT inhibitor and at least one of exogenous Interleukin-7 (IL-7) and exogenous Interleukin-15 (IL-15), wherein the resulting T cells exhibit delayed maturation or differentiation. In some embodiments, the method further comprises administering the one or more T cells to a subject in need of a T cell therapy.

LAT (Linker for Activation of T-cells) is a protein involved in signaling through the T-cell receptor (TCR). The invention provides a LAT protein including mutations at ubiquitylation sites that result in an increase in stability of LAT in stimulated and unstimulated cells, and enhanced signaling through the TCR. The invention further provides use for a LAT protein including mutations at ubiquitylation sites for therapeutic and laboratory methods.

Epitopes derived from human papilloma virus and peptides having a size of about 22-45 amino acid residues comprising minimal T cell epitopes are disclosed. Also disclosed are clinically relevant approaches for immunizing subjects against (Myco) bacterially and/or virally infected cells or tumor cells. Peptide sequences of 22-35 amino acid residues in length can induce both peptide-specific CD8+ cytolytic cells and CD4+ T-helper cells. Moreover, vaccination with 22-35 residue long peptides results in a more vigorous CD8+ cytolytic T-cell response than vaccination with peptides of the exact minimal CTL epitope length. The intrinsic capacity of certain minimal CTL epitopes which instead of activating cytolytic effector cells tolerize these cytolytic cells, can be overcome by use of these 22-35 amino acid long peptides. Also disclosed are clinically relevant approaches for vaccination and/or treatment of subjects against HPV and methods and uses suited to treat subjects suffering from progressive lesions and/or cervical cancer.

Disclosed herein are methods of treating CMV (cytomegalovirus) retinitis in a human patient in need thereof, comprising administering to the human patient a population of allogeneic T cells comprising CMV-specific T cells, wherein the human patient is infected with HIV or has been the recipient of a solid organ transplant.

Embodiments of the disclosure concern methods and compositions for immunotherapy for human papillomavirus infection and diseases associated therewith. In specific embodiments, methods concern production of immune cells that target one or more antigens of HPV16 and/or HPV18, including methods with stimulation steps that employ IL-7 and IL-15, but not IL-6 and/or IL-12. Other specific embodiments utilize stimulations in the presence of certain cells, such as costimulatory cells and certain antigen presenting cells.

The present invention relates to the use of at least one attenuated measles virus for the manufacture of a medicament intended for treating malignant mesothelioma in an individual.