The present invention relates to novel recombinant fusion proteins, such as human antibody-based molecules called Vaccibodies, which are able to trigger both a T cell- and B cell immune response. The present invention also relates to a method of treating a cancer or an infectious disease by means of these specific fusion proteins.

The present disclosure provides (i) isolated immunogenic TAA polypeptides (i.e., an immunogenic MUC1 polypeptides, an immunogenic MSLN polypeptides, and an immunogenic TERT polypeptides), (ii) isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more immunogenic TAA polypeptides, (iii) compositions comprising an immunogenic TAA polypeptide or an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding an immunogenic TAA polypeptide, and (iv) methods relating to uses of the polypeptides, nucleic acid molecules, and compositions.

Disclosed herein are compositions comprising optimized consensus TERT antigens and methods for treating cancer and in particular immunogenic compositions that treat and provide protection against tumor.

Disclosed herein are compositions comprising optimized consensus TERT antigens and methods for treating cancer and in particular immunogenic compositions that treat and provide protection against tumor.

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.

The present disclosure provides immunogenic telomerase reverse transcriptase-derived peptide compositions and methods of their use. By administering to a human subject an effective amount of an immunotherapeutic composition that stimulates an immune response to one or more peptides in the composition, a cell-mediated immune response may be elicited in the subject.

The present disclosure provides an allogeneic whole cell cancer vaccine platform that includes compositions and methods for treating and preventing cancer. Provided herein are compositions containing a therapeutically effective amount of cells from one or more cancer cell lines, some or all of which are modified to (i) inhibit or reduce expression of one or more immunosuppressive factors by the cells, and/or (ii) express or increase expression of one or more immunostimulatory factors by the cells, and/or (iii) express or increase expression of one or more tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), including TAAs that have been mutated, and which comprise cancer cell lines that natively express a heterogeneity of tumor associated antigens and/or neoantigens. Also provided herein are methods of making the vaccine compositions, methods of preparing, and methods of use thereof.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for modifying a T cell with a nucleic acid encoding a switch molecule comprising an extracellular domain comprising a membrane receptor or fragment thereof and an intracellular domain comprising a signaling receptor or fragment thereof. In one aspect, a method comprises introducing a nucleic acid encoding a switch molecule and a nucleic acid encoding a soluble fusion protein and/or a nucleic acid encoding a bispecific antibody into a population of cells comprising T cells, wherein the T cells transiently expresses the switch molecule and soluble fusion protein or bispecific antibody. In other aspect, compositions of T cells and methods of treating a disease or condition, such as cancer or an autoimmune disease, are also included.

The present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule encoding a specific binding molecule capable of binding an h TERT peptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 when the peptide is presented by a Class II Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), wherein the specific binding molecule comprises a first polypeptide comprising a variable region of an α-chain and a second polypeptide comprising a variable region of a β-chain of a T-cell receptor (TCR), and wherein: (a) the variable region of an α-chain comprises CDR sequences CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 which respectively comprise the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 2, 3 and 4; and (b) the variable region of a β-chain comprises CDR sequences CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 which respectively comprise the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 5, 6 and 7. Recombinant constructs, vectors and host cells comprising such nucleic acid molecules are also provided, as are specific binding molecules encoded by such nucleic acid molecules. The present invention has utility in the treatment of cancer.

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.