Embodiments of the disclosure include methods and compositions useful for treating cancer in an immunogenic manner so as to elicit local tumor regression, while priming systemic immunity. In one embodiment, there is expansion of tumor-specific immune cells through administration of fibroblasts, either natural or modified in an intratumoral and/or peritumoral manner. In other embodiments, manipulation of a local tumor microenvironment is achieved by injections of immune-modulating fibroblasts to facilitate expansion of immune effector cells, which are subsequently re-stimulated in the periphery by antigenic exposure. In another embodiment, agents are provided that allow for systemic derepression of immunity, while optionally augmenting ability of immune effector cells to expand and kill tumor cells.

The invention is directed to a process for providing a cell comprising a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific for one or more target antigens exposed on tumor microenvironment cells characterized by providing a cell sample comprising tumor microenvironment cells and non-tumor microenvironment cells and repeating the steps of—contacting the cell tissue with a conjugate comprising a fluorescent moiety and an antigen recognizing moiety—removing unbound conjugate from the cell tissue and detecting cells bound to the conjugate by the fluorescence radiation emitted by the fluorescent moieties of the first conjugates—erasing the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent moieties of the conjugates until identifying at least two conjugates provided with antigen recognizing moieties recognizing different antigens, allowing in combination to discriminate between tumor microenvironment cells and non-tumor microenvironment cells and providing cells with the identified at least two antigen recognizing moieties as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Preferable, the tumor microenvironment cells are tumor microenvironment cells from tumor stromal cells or PaCa cells.

The invention provides compositions and methods improved CAR T cell therapies. Specifically, the invention provides cells with reduced Tet, e.g., Tet2 function or expression, and methods of use therefore. The invention further provides Tet2 inhibitors and methods of use therefore in connection with CAR T cells.

In various embodiments methods of producing a cell population enriched for CLEC9A+ dendritic cells are provided where the methods involve culturing stem cells and/or progenitor cells in a cell culture comprising culture medium, a notch ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), FLT3 ligand (FLT3L); thrombopoietin (TPO); and IL-3 and/or GMCSF.

The invention provides compositions and methods for treating diseases associated with expression of a cancer associated antigen as described herein. The invention also relates to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific to a cancer associated antigen as described herein, vectors encoding the same, and recombinant T cells comprising the CARs of the present invention. The invention also includes methods of administering a genetically modified T cell expressing a CAR that comprises an antigen binding domain that binds to a cancer associated antigen as described herein.

Disclosed are compositions of matters, cells, and treatment protocols useful for induction of anticancer responses in a patient suffering from cancer. In one embodiment the invention provides the use of NR2F6 silencing or gene editing in cord blood cells possessing anti-tumor activity in order to induce potentiated killer cells suitable for therapeutic use. In one embodiment said allogeneic cord blood killer cells are administered to initiate a cascade of antitumor immune responses, with initially responses mediated by allogeneic killer cells, and followed by endogenous immune responses.

The present invention provides novel and inventive drug delivery systems with higher loading capability, a capacity to sequester high tumors levels of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic agents simultaneously, and longer release profiles. Some aspects of these delivery systems include compositions including stabilized multilamellar lipid vesicles having crosslinked lipid bilayers (referred to herein as inter-bilayer-crosslinked multilamellar vesicles or ICMV) covalently conjugated to an agent (e.g., an antigen).

Disclosed are means, methods and compositions of matter useful for amplification of adaptive immune responses towards neoplastic tissue. In one embodiment, immunization of a patient is performed by a means comprising of administering either an exogenous vaccine or stimulation of immunogenicity of the tumor so as to cause release of antigens/increased exposure of antigens, thus resulting in an “endogenous” vaccine. Subsequent to vaccination a patient is treated by an immunopheresis procedure, in order to allow for removal of “blocking factors” produced by the tumor or produced by cells programmed by tumors to produce said blocking factors. In one embodiment further immunization is performed subsequent to removal of said blocking factors in order to allow for enhancement of adaptive immune responses

The present application relates generally to genetically modified arenaviruses that are suitable vaccines against neoplastic diseases, such as cancer. The arenaviruses described herein may be suitable for vaccines and/or treatment of neoplastic diseases and/or for the use in immunotherapies. In particular, provided herein are methods and compositions for treating a neoplastic disease by administering a genetically modified arenavirus in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, wherein the arenavirus has been engineered to include a nucleotide sequence encoding a tumor antigen, tumor associated antigen or antigenic fragment thereof.

Disclosed are means, methods and compositions of matter useful for amplification of adaptive immune responses towards neoplastic tissue. In one embodiment, immunization of a patient is performed by a means comprising of administering either an exogenous vaccine or stimulation of immunogenicity of the tumor so as to cause release of antigens/increased exposure of antigens, thus resulting in an “endogenous” vaccine. Subsequent to vaccination a patient is treated by an immunopheresis procedure, in order to allow for removal of “blocking factors” produced by the tumor or produced by cells programmed by tumors to produce said blocking factors. In one embodiment further immunization is performed subsequent to removal of said blocking factors in order to allow for enhancement of adaptive immune responses.