The present invention relates to peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated T-cell peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that can for example serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, or to stimulate T cells ex vivo and transfer into patients. Peptides bound to molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or peptides as such, can also be targets of antibodies, soluble T-cell receptors, and other binding molecules.

Provided herein are ex vivo methods for the expansion of cord blood-derived natural killer cells and methods of their use. Examples of embodiments include stimulating mononuclear cells from cord blood in the presence of antigen presenting cells (APCs) and IL-2 and re-stimulating the cells with APCs to produce expanded NK cells. In specific embodiments, the method does not utilize human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching.

In some embodiments, methods of expanding tumor infiltrating lymphocytes using AKT pathway inhibitors and methods of using the expanded tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in the treatment of human diseases, including cancers, are disclosed.

The present disclosure includes a method of producing a cell population containing Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-expressing immune cells, comprising co-culturing CAR-expressing immune cells and cells expressing a target antigen of the CAR, wherein the CAR-expressing immune cells are cells into which a CAR gene has been introduced and the target antigen-expressing cells are normal blood cells that have been engineered to express the target antigen.

The present invention relates to peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated T-cell peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that can for example serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, or to stimulate T cells ex vivo and transfer into patients. Peptides bound to molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or peptides as such, can also be targets of antibodies, soluble T-cell receptors, and other binding molecules.

The present invention relates to methods for expanding a stem cell population. More particularly, the invention relates, inter alia, to methods and compositions for expanding a stem cell population, particularly a hematopoietic stem cell population.

A method of treating a patient who has glioblastoma and/or gastric cancer includes administering to said patient a composition containing a population of activated T cells that selectively recognize cells in the patient that aberrantly express a peptide. A pharmaceutical composition contains activated T cells that selectively recognize cells in a patient that aberrantly express a peptide, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in which the T cells bind to the peptide in a complex with an MHC class I molecule, and the composition is for treating the patient who has glioblastoma and/or gastric cancer. A method of treating a patient who has glioblastoma and/or gastric cancer includes administering to said patient a composition comprising a peptide in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, thereby inducing a T-cell response to the glioblastoma and/or gastric cancer.

The present invention provides a method for the expansion of HPV immunogen specific T cells, comprising the steps of: i. providing a phagocytosable particle comprising a core and a human papillomavirus (HPV) immunogen tightly associated to the core; wherein the HPV immunogen has an amino acid sequence that corresponds to the amino acid sequence of a HPV protein, or has an amino acid sequence that corresponds to an amino acid sequence of a part of a HPV protein; ii. providing APCs; iii. contacting the phagocytosable particle comprising a core and a HPV immunogen with the APCs from step ii in vitro, and under conditions allowing phagocytosis of the HPV immunogen by the APCs; iv. providing T-cells that have been harvested from a subject; v. contacting the T-cells with the APCs from step iii) in vitro, and under conditions allowing specific activation of HPV immunogen specific T-cells. The invention further provides an expanded population of therapeutically useful T-cells and their use in the treatment or prevention of cancer, particularly HPV positive cancers.

Provided is a ROBO1 CAR-NK cell carrying a suicide gene, and a preparation method and application thereof. In order to increase the safety and controllability of a CAR-NK therapy, on the basis of a present ROBO1 CAR-NK cell, a suicide gene switch element is integrated into a genome by means of a lentiviral transfection technology to form a CAR-NK carrying a suicide gene. By adding the suicide gene, the CAR-NK cell can be better controlled, and the clinical safety is further improved.

Provided herein are methods for obtaining tumor-targeting T cells, as well as for identifying tumor-targeting TCRs.