An immune cell that is genetically engineered to express an exogenous alternative carbon source (ACS) metabolism gene, in which the ACS is not glucose and wherein the ability of the immune cell to metabolise the ACS is increased due to expression of the exogenous ACS metabolism gene. Also provided are polynucleotides, vectors, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of genetically engineering the immune cell and methods of use in therapy.

The present invention provides a novel complex for use in the prevention and/or treatment of colorectal cancer, the complex comprising a) a cell penetrating peptide, b) at least one antigen or antigenic epitope, and c) at least one TLR peptide agonist, wherein the components a)-c) are covalently linked. In particular, compositions for use in the prevention and/or treatment of colorectal cancer, such as a pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines are provided.

The present invention provides a complex for use in the prevention and/or treatment of cancer, the complex comprising a) a cell penetrating peptide, b) at least one antigen or antigenic epitope, and c) at least one TLR peptide agonist, wherein the components a)-c) are covalently linked. In particular, compositions for use in the prevention and/or treatment of cancer, such as a pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines are provided.

The present invention relates to an agent for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of an autoimmune disease, an agent for the formation of regulatory T cells (T.sub.Reg) in an organism and various methods in which the agents according to the invention are used.

Described herein are compositions and methods for treating a disease, particularly a cancer, with primed dendritic cells recognizing a tumor antigen. The methods may comprise storing, shipping and/or culturing dendritic cells, where the dendritic cells are stored on a hard surface. Lysis protocols are described where the lysis does not result in complete lysis of cells in order to provide cell surface molecules maintained in a cell surface-embedded state. Non-lethal Dengue virus strains are also provided for therapeutic purposes.

Described herein are compositions and methods for treating a disease, particularly a cancer, with primed dendritic cells recognizing a tumor antigen. The methods may comprise storing, shipping and/or culturing dendritic cells, where the dendritic cells are stored on a hard surface. Lysis protocols are described where the lysis does not result in complete lysis of cells in order to provide cell surface molecules maintained in a cell surface-embedded state. Non-lethal Dengue virus strains are also provided for therapeutic purposes.

The present disclosure is directed, in some embodiments, to methods and compositions of comprising a cell having a non-internalizing receptor, and a nanoparticle surface-modified with a ligand that binds to the non-internalizing receptor.

Dysfunctional or exhausted T cells arise in chronic diseases including chronic viral infections and cancer, and express high levels of co-inhibitory receptors. Therapeutic blockade of these receptors has clinical efficacy in the treatment of cancer. While co-inhibitory receptors are co-expressed, the triggers that induce them and the transcriptional regulators that drive their co-expression have not been identified. The immunoregulatory cytokine IL-27 induces a gene module in T cells that includes several known co-inhibitory receptors (Tim-3, Lag-3, and TIGIT). The present invention provides a novel immunoregulatory network as well as novel cell surface molecules that have an inhibitory function in the tumor microenvironment. The present invention further provides the novel discovery that the transcription factors Prdm1 and c-Maf cooperatively regulate the expression of the co-inhibitory receptor module. This critical molecular circuit underlies the co-expression of co-inhibitory receptors in dysfunctional T cells and identifies novel regulators of T cell dysfunction.

The disclosure provides synthetic immune receptors (SIRs), nucleic acids encoding the SIRs, methods of making and using the SIRs, in, for example, adoptive cell therapy.

The present invention concerns immunotherapy for cancers having cells that comprise the ganglioside GD2 antigen. In specific embodiment, T cells having a chimeric receptor that targets GD2 is employed. In particular cases, the chimeric receptor comprises antibody, cytoplasmic signaling domain from the T cell receptor, and/or costimulatory molecule(s).