Methods and compositions for treating cancer are provided. Compositions comprising ceramide nanoliposomes are administered to a subject in need of such treatment. The composition administration also enhances immunotherapy. Further administering compositions in combination with tumor antigen specific T-cells, and/or compositions in combination with tumor antigen expressing cells, and/or said compositions in combination with antagonists of PD-1 provides for enhanced results. Administration of the compositions provides for effective treatment of tumors including regression and eradication of established tumors.

Methods and compositions for treating cancer are provided. Compositions comprising ceramide nanoliposomes are administered to a subject in need of such treatment. The composition administration also enhances immunotherapy. Further administering compositions in combination with tumor antigen specific T-cells, and/or compositions in combination with tumor antigen expressing cells, and/or said compositions in combination with antagonists of PD-1 provides for enhanced results. Administration of the compositions provides for effective treatment of tumors including regression and eradication of established tumors.

Provided are compositions and methods for using the same. In some embodiments, the compositions include an EPELN encapsulating and/or having associated therewith an active agent and a plasma membrane derived from a tumor and/or cancer cell coating the EPELN. In some embodiments, the active agent is a therapeutic agent or an immune response modifier, and in some embodiments the plasma membrane has one or more tumor-associated and/or cancer-associated antigens. Also provided are methods for using the compositions for treating tumors and/or cancers, inducing anti-tumor and/or anti-cancer immune responses, activating antigen-presenting cells, targeting CD11c dendritic cells, and preventing or reducing metastasis.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to nucleic acid vaccines. The vaccines include at least one RNA polynucleotides having a open reading reading frame encoding at least varicella zoster virus (VZV) antigen. Methods for preparing and using such vaccines are also described.

The present invention relates to small lipid nanoparticles, a small lipid nanoparticle (SLNP)-based nanovaccine platform including same, and a combination treatment regimen with an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Lipid nanoparticies according to the present invention can easily deliver antigens and anionic drugs into cells, and exhibit strong anti-tumor effects when loaded with tumor-associated antigens. Particularly, a cancer vaccine kit according to the present invention including lipid nanoparticles according to the present invention as a first vaccine composition and lipid nanoparticles and an immune checkpoint inhibitor as a second vaccine composition can be used to effectively suppress tumor regrowth and recurrence triggered by the occurrence of immunosuppression against a cancer nanovaccine.

Methods and compositions for altering the microenvironment of a tumor are provided. The methods comprise reducing the population of tumor-residing immune suppressive regulatory T-cells, increasing the population of tumor lysing T-cells (such as CD8+ T-cells) and improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. The compositions comprise the use of cationic lipids optionally combined with autologous antigens, non-autologous antigens, or tumor-associated antigens.

An immunogen generally includes a virus-like particle and an antigen linked to the virus-like particle. The antigen includes an antigenic portion of a polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide inhibits lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity by binding to LPL. In some embodiments, the polypeptide is at least a portion of angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3). In other embodiments, the polypeptide is at least a portion of angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4). In other embodiments, the polypeptide at least a portion of angiopoietin-like 8 (ANGPTL8). In some embodiments, the virus-like particle is a Qbeta immunogenic carrier. In some of these embodiments, the antigen is linked to the virus-like particle through a Gly-Gly-Gly-Cys linker at the C-terminal of the antigen.

A lipid membrane structure encapsulating an siRNA inside thereof and containing a lipid compound of the formula (I) as a lipid component (R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent CH.sub.3—(CH.sub.2).sub.n—CH═CH—CH.sub.2—CH═CH—(CH.sub.2).sub.m—, n represents an integer of 3 to 5, m represents an integer of 6 to 10, p represents an integer of 2 to 7, and R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represent a C.sub.1-4 alkyl group or a C.sub.2-4 alkenyl group.

The invention is directed to a process for preparing a library of saposin lipoprotein particles, wherein the particles comprise membrane components from a cell or an organelle membrane and a lipid binding polypeptide that is a saposin-like protein belonging to the SAPLIP family of lipid interacting proteins or a derivative form thereof, wherein the process comprises the steps of a) providing a mixture of crude membrane vesicles obtained from a cell or an organelle membrane; b) contacting the mixture of step a) with the lipid binding polypeptide in a liquid environment; and c) allowing for self-assembly of the particles. The invention also provides a process for preparing a purified saposin lipoprotein particle comprising the steps of preparing a library according to the process described above and the additional step of f) purifying the saposin lipoprotein particle from the library. In addition, the invention provides a library of saposin lipoprotein particles and saposin lipoprotein particles obtainable according to the processes of the invention. These can be used in medicine, in particular in preventing, treating or lessening the severity of a disease or for use in a diagnostic method, a cosmetic treatment or for use as vaccination formulation or as a tool for drug development, drug screening, drug discovery, antibody development, development of therapeutic biologies, for membrane or membrane protein purification, for membrane protein expression, for membrane and/or membrane protein research, in particular lipidomics and proteomics, preferably for the isolation, identification and/or study of membranes and/or membrane proteins or creation of a lipidome or proteome database.

The invention relates to multiple epitope constructs, immunogenic and vaccine compositions comprising recombinant molecules presenting inserted multiple and different epitopes from a variety of antigens. The antigenic determinants being associated with different pathways leading to atherosclerosis. In particular, the invention relates to such compositions for eliciting an immune response against antigens and pathogens involved in the development of atherosclerosis the invention includes inter alia methods of treating and/or preventing the disease and recombinant protein products.