The present invention provides CDCA1-derived epitope peptides having the ability to induce cytotoxic T cells. The present invention further provides polynucleotides encoding the peptides, antigen-presenting cells presenting the peptides, and cytotoxic T cells targeting the peptides, as well as methods of inducing the antigen-presenting cells or CTLs. The present invention also provides compositions and pharmaceutical compositions containing them as an active ingredient. Further, the present invention provides methods of treating and/or preventing cancer, and/or preventing postoperative recurrence thereof, using the peptides, polynucleotides, antigen-presenting cells, cytotoxic T cells or pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention. Methods of inducing an immune response against cancer are also provided.

A method of producing an immunotherapy vaccine is provided. The method includes performing a heat treatment to exosomes separated from cancer cells or body fluids including blood of a cancer patient to promote inactivation of proteolytic enzymes in the exosomes, and introducing or co-culturing the exosomes in dendritic cells derived from blood of the cancer patient or a healthy person to make antigen-presenting cells.

FOXP3.sup.+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) can represent powerful adoptive immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases, and other chronic inflammatory diseases. The present invention is related to the ability to maintain and expand stable Treg lines and can provide insight into FOXP3.sup.+ Treg physiology and can enable feasible strategies of Treg-based immunotherapy.

Provided are an artificial multi-antigen fusion protein and a preparation method thereof. The fusion protein can effectively stimulate CD8+T and CD4+ T cell immunities, and can be applied to immunodiagnostics or serve as a prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine.

Disclosed is a rapid and efficient method for expanding a human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. In the method, immune cells in human peripheral blood and human mesenchymal stem cells are co-cultured at a cell number ratio of 1:1 to 400:1, which can significantly enhance the expansion ability of human mesenchymal stem cells; the number of expansion in vitro is more than ten times that of commonly used methods, and the expanded cells still maintain the biological characteristics of stem cells while having stronger self-renewal ability and multidirectional differentiation potential. There is no statistical difference in the expansion-promoting effects of the human peripheral blood immune cells from people of different ages on the human mesenchymal stem cells, regardless of age. Subjects use immune cells in autologous peripheral blood to expand human mesenchymal stem cells, which can avoid the risk of immune rejection.

Methods and compositions disclosed herein relate to cancer immunotherapy, in particular preparation and use of antigen-specific T lymphocytes for immune cell therapies. Methods and compositions disclosed herein relate to the production of antigen-presenting cells and their use cell therapy and vaccines and, in particular, the preparation and use of antigen-specific T lymphocytes for cancer immunotherapies.

Methods and compositions relating to the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are disclosed. For example, induced pluripotent stem cells may be generated from CD34.sup.+ hematopoietic cells, such as human CD34.sup.+ blood progenitor cells, or T cells. Various iPS cell lines are also provided. In certain embodiments, the invention provides novel induced pluripotent stem cells with a genome comprising genetic rearrangement of T cell receptors.

A method to treat an autoimmune disease is provided. The method involves administration of interleukin-15 receptor (IL-15R) agonists in an amount effective to ameliorate a symptom of the autoimmune disease. The invention also involves a method to treat an autoimmune disease by ex-vivo expansion of CD44+CD122+Kir+ CD8+ Treg cells and administration of the CD44+CD122+Kir+ CD8+ Treg cells. Compositions comprising CD44+CD122+Kir+ CD8+ Treg cells are also provided. Methods for stimulating an immune response to an antigen are also provided.

Provided are methods for processing a blood related sample comprising: (a) providing a blood related sample comprising one or more target cells, platelet cells, red blood cells; and (b) reducing a number of the platelet cells in the blood related sample while maintaining a ratio of the red blood cells to the one or more target cells above a critical threshold to produce a reduced platelet blood related sample comprising the one or more target cells. Also described herein are cell compositions produced by applying the methods described herein.

A method of treating or preventing a sickle cell disease in a subject in need thereof is disclosed. The method comprising: (a) transplanting immature hematopoietic cells into the subject; and (b) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated population of non-GVHD inducing anti-third party cells comprising cells having a central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype, the cells being tolerance inducing cells and capable of homing to the lymph nodes following transplantation.