Dendritic cells containing tumor lysate loaded particles are prepared. The dendritic cells present tumor antigens to elicit the Major Histocompatibility Complex class I pathway and can be used as a vaccine to treat cancer, including ocular melanoma.

The application provides new compositions and methods for stimulating the production of natural killer (NK) cells in a subject. NK cells can be selectively expanded with a combination of stimulating ligands. Methods and compositions for the administration of stimulatory ligands modified to self-insert into tumor cells, thereby stimulating an increase in the number of NK cells in proximity to a tumor, are also described.

Described herein are compositions and methods for treating cancer through the combination of tumor antigen-pulsed dendritic cells and Dengue Virus. The combination of the two forms of therapeutic intervention provides enhanced tumor cell reduction compared to either alone. The cancer targeted by compositions and methods described herein may be a solid cancer or blood cancer.

Described herein are compositions and methods for treating cancer through the combination of tumor antigen-pulsed dendritic cells and Dengue Virus. The combination of the two forms of therapeutic intervention provides enhanced tumor cell reduction compared to either alone. The cancer targeted by compositions and methods described herein may be a solid cancer or blood cancer.

Methods are disclosed for producing defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) in blebs (DRibbles) by contacting cells with a proteasome inhibitor, and in some examples also an autophagy inducer, thereby producing treated cells. DRibbles can be used to load antigen presenting cells (APCs), thereby allowing the APCs to present the DRiPs and antigenic fragments thereof. Immunogenic compositions that include treated cells, isolated DRibbles, or DRibble-loaded APCs are also disclosed. Methods are also provided for using treated cells, isolated DRibbles, or DRibble-loaded APCs to stimulate an immune response, for example in a subject. For example, DRibbles obtained from a tumor cell can be used to stimulate an immune response against the same type of tumor cells in the subject. In another example, DRibbles obtained from a pathogen-infected cell or cell engineered to express one or more antigens of a pathogen can be used to stimulate an immune response against the pathogen in the subject.

Provided are monoclonal antibodies that detect CD 19 CAR-modified immune cells and CAR-modified immune cells irrespective of the tumor associated antigen they target. Methods of using these functional monoclonal antibodies include, but are not limited to, detection, quantification, activation, and selective propagation of CAR-modified immune cells.

The invention concerns a method of preparing a composition comprising stimulated immune system cells such as dendritic cells (DC) for use in inducing immune response of cytotoxic T lymphocytes against colorectal cancer. The dendritic cells are pulsed by contact with colorectal cancer stem cells (CSC) or their fragments thereof. These colorectal CSCs are produced by OSKM (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc) induced reprogramming of differentiated colorectal cancer cells (CRC) which results in undifferentiated colorectal CSC-like cells. Both the CSC-like cells and the lysates of heat-shocked CSC-like cells could be used as an accessible source of tumour antigens for DC pulsing to induce specific immune responses against colorectal CSCs.

The present invention relates to an ex vivo, fast and efficient process to obtain activated antigen-presenting cells that are useful for therapies against cancer and immune system-related diseases. At the same time, it is related to a cellular composition that contributes to stimulate the activated antigen-presenting cells to induce a specific immune response against tumors in patients with cancer or other pathologies involving immune responses.

A method of therapy for a tumor or other pathology by administering a combination of thermotherapy and immunotherapy optionally combined with gene delivery. The combination therapy beneficially treats the tumor and prevents tumor recurrence, either locally or at a different site, by boosting the patient's immune response both at the time or original therapy and/or for later therapy. With respect to gene delivery, the inventive method may be used in cancer therapy, but is not limited to such use; it will be appreciated that the inventive method may be used for gene delivery in general. The controlled and precise application of thermal energy enhances gene transfer to any cell, whether the cell is a neoplastic cell, a pre-neoplastic cell, or a normal cell.

A method of therapy for a tumor or other pathology by administering a combination of thermotherapy and immunotherapy optionally combined with gene delivery. The combination therapy beneficially treats the tumor and prevents tumor recurrence, either locally or at a different site, by boosting the patient's immune response both at the time or original therapy and/or for later therapy. With respect to gene delivery, the inventive method may be used in cancer therapy, but is not limited to such use; it will be appreciated that the inventive method may be used for gene delivery in general. The controlled and precise application of thermal energy enhances gene transfer to any cell, whether the cell is a neoplastic cell, a pre-neoplastic cell, or a normal cell.