The present invention provides a composition comprising dendritic cells loaded with hHsp60sp, which dendritic cells are from a subject and have been fixed with paraformaldehyde (PFA). The subject may suffer from an autoimmune disease. Also provided are a method for preparing the composition; recombinant human cells comprising a heterologous gene encoding a fusion protein of HLA-E and hHsp60sp or B7sp, and expressing the fusion protein on the surface of the cells; a method for determining a percentage of maximum inhibition of testing the function of the HLA-E restricted CD8+ Treg cells from a subject, determining whether HLA-E restricted CD8+ Treg cells freshly isolated from a subject are defective, or determining whether defective HLA-E restricted CD8+ Treg cells from a subject are correctable; and a method for correcting defective HLA-E restricted CD8+ Treg cells, treating type 1 diabetes (T1D), or treating multiple sclerosis (MS).

Disclosed are novel means, protocols, and compositions of matter for creating targeted immune responses and/or induction of immunological memory towards the tumor vasculature. In one embodiment pluripotent stem cells are transfected with one or more genes capable of eliciting immunity, induced to differentiate into endothelial-like cells which resemble the tumor endothelial cells, and utilized as a vaccine. In some embodiment's genes are engineered under control of specific promoters to allow for various specificities of activity. In one specific embodiment pluripotent stem cells engineered to endow properties capable of inducing expression of the α-Gal epitope (Galα1,3Galα1,4GlcNAc-R). Addition of adjuvants to enhance antigen presentation of the vaccine composition, as well as means of stimulating systemic enhancement of circulating endothelial specific T cells are also disclosed.

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 culture media for oocytes and uses thereof. Specifically, media for culturing an oocyte in vitro are disclosed, wherein said media comprise granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The presence of GM-CSF in the media increases the maturation and/or developmental competence of the oocyte making it suitable for use in subsequent assisted reproductive technologies. Methods for increasing the maturation and/or developmental competence of an oocyte are also disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to methods for transiently activating temperature-sensitive agents in one or more cells, for example by contacting one or more cells with a temperature-sensitive agent and transiently incubating the cells at a permissive temperature for inducing an activity of the temperature-sensitive agent in the cells. Additionally, the present disclosure relates to methods of contacting one or more cells in a subject with a temperature-sensitive agent and then lowering the subject's body temperature to a permissive temperature for inducing an activity of the temperature-sensitive agent in the cells. The disclosure also relates to methods of treating a subject with a temperature-sensitive therapeutic agent. In particular, the disclosure provides tools for temperature-sensitive delivery of ZSCAN4 nucleic acids and proteins to cells.

According to the present disclosure, provided is a method for manufacturing induced pluripotent stem cells including preparing cells and introducing RNA into the cells, wherein the RNA includes RNA encoding a reprogramming factor and wherein, in the RNA introduced into the cells, double-stranded RNA is substantially removed.

The invention relates to a method of producing an iPSC-derived Kupffer Cell (IKC). The method may comprise providing a macrophage precursor (preMcp) derived from an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC). The macrophage precursor (preM-cp) may be cultured in the presence of a hepatic cue, such as a combination of primary human hepatocyte conditioned media and Advanced DMEM, thereby obtaining the iPSC-derived Kupffer Cell. The iPSC-derived Kupffer Cell may display a biological property of a primary Kupffer cell, such as a primary adult human KC (pKC). The biological activity comprises expression of a macrophage marker such as CD11, CD14, CD68, CD163, CD32, CLEC-4F, ID1 and ID3.

The present specification provides methods for augmenting the antigenic content, especially of tumor-associated antigens (TAA), and immunogenicity of cancer cells; methods for enhancing cross-presentation in dendritic cells, compositions comprising such manipulated cells derived from single cancer patients; and methods of using those compositions as a personal immunotherapeutic product to treat the donor patient's cancer.

Provided herein are methods of generating MDSCs ex vivo. The methods include culturing blood cells with an LRP2 agonist.

A method for producing a professional antigen-presenting cell, including inducing expression of c-MYC, BMI1, and MDM2 in a myeloid cell (MC) to obtain a proliferative myeloid cell (pMC), and inducing expression of GM-CSF and/or M-CSF in the pMC to obtain a professional antigen-presenting cell (pAPC). The myeloid cell is a myeloid cell differentiated from a pluripotent stem cell.