The present invention relates to methods and compositions for providing hematopoietic function to human patients in need thereof, by selecting a pool of expanded human cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples for administration to the patient, wherein the samples in the pool collectively do not mismatch the patient at more than 2 of the HLA antigens or alleles typed in the patient; and administering the selected pool of expanded human cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples to the patient. Methods for obtaining the pools of expanded human cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples, banks of frozen pools of expanded human umbilical cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples, and methods for producing such banks are also provided herein.

The present disclosure relates to compositions, nucleic acid constructs, methods and kits thereof for cell induction or reprogramming cells to the dendritic cell state or antigen presenting cell state, based, in part, on the surprisingly effect described herein of novel use and combinations of transcription factors that permit induction or reprogramming of differentiated or undifferentiated cells into dendritic cells or antigen presenting cells. Such compositions, nucleic acid constructs, methods and kits can be used for inducing dendritic cells in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo, and these induced dendritic cells or antigen presenting cells can be used for immunotherapy applications.

The present invention relates to a chimeric receptor capable of signaling both a primary and a co-stimulatory pathway, thus allowing activation of the co-stimulatory pathway without binding to the natural ligand. The cytoplasmic domain of the receptor contains a portion of the 4-1BB signaling domain. Embodiments of the invention relate to polynucleotides that encode the receptor, vectors and host cells encoding a chimeric receptor, particularly including T cells and natural killer (NK) cells and methods of use.

This disclosure relates to therapeutics containing IL-37, chimeric antigen receptors, nucleic acids, or vectors encoding the same. In certain embodiments, this disclosure relates to methods of treating cancer comprising administering a nucleic acid or vector encoding interleukin-37 to a subject diagnosed with cancer and administering T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor to the subject. In certain embodiments, this disclosure relates to methods of treating cancer comprising administering a nucleic acid or vector encoding interleukin-37 and a chimeric antigen receptor to a subject diagnosed with cancer.

The present invention relates generally to compositions for treating patients that have skin cancer or have recently had skin cancers removed. More specifically, the present invention provides human skin substitutes engineered to express exogenous IL-12 and compositions and methods for making human skin substitutes engineered to express exogenous IL-12. In addition, the present invention provides methods for treatment of sites on a patient where skin cancers have been removed with human skin substitutes engineered to express exogenous IL-12.

The present invention includes vaccine compositions and methods for using these vaccine compositions in active immunotherapy. The vaccine compositions include allogeneic activated Th1 memory cells. The compositions can also include one or more disease-related antigens. The methods include administering the vaccine compositions to provide a Th1 footprint in normal individuals or patients susceptible to disease or having minimal residual disease.

Provided are a preparation method for a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, and use thereof, particularly relating to a method for culturing a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, comprising: subjecting a TIL, which is derived from tumor tissues and not expanded in vitro, to in vitro expansion of at least one stage, and wherein the TIL is contacted with a CD28 agonist in the in vitro expansion of at least one stage. Further provided is a method for preventing and/or treating tumors by using the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte.

The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method for the formation of pancreatic endoderm, pancreatic hormone expressing cells and pancreatic hormone secreting cells. The present invention also provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells without the use of a feeder cell layer.

Cells derived from human umbilical cords are disclosed along with methods for their therapeutic use. Isolation techniques, culture methods and detailed characterization of the cells with respect to their cell surface markers, gene expression, and their secretion of trophic factors are described.

A composition of matter is provided, comprising a population of cultured cells that comprises a sub-population of cells that both stain as CD31Bright and demonstrate uptake of Ac-LDL+, and secrete IL-8. A method is also provided, comprising stimulating in vitro an initiating cell population (ICP) of at least 5 million cells that have a density of less than 1.072 g/ml, wherein at least 1% of the cells of the ICP is CD34+CD45/Dim, and at least 25% of the cells of the ICP are CD31Bright, to differentiate into a progenitor/precursor cell population (PCP). Other embodiments are also described.