The present invention contemplates dendritic cell compositions. The dentritic cell compositions employ MHC class-II targeting signals fused to an antigen or fragment thereof to obtain MHC II presentation of the antigen or fragment thereof. In particular, the invention refers to a dendritic cell vaccine comprising dendritic cells expressing a MHC class-II targeting signal fused to an antigen or fragment thereof. Dendritic cell vaccines for the stimulation of an immune response against melanoma-associated antigen are also described.

Provided are TCRs (e.g., TCRs that bind to NY-ESO-1), cells and pharmaceutical compositions comprising these TCRs, nucleic acids encoding these TCRs, expression vectors and host cells for making these TCRs, and methods of treating a subject using these TCRs.

The present invention relates to T cell receptors (TCR) against cancer/testis antigens NY-ESO-1 and CT83 presented by multiple HLA molecules. The preferred TCRs of the invention deriving from human T cells demonstrates high affinity and antigen specificity in vitro and in vivo. The present invention also relates to the modulation of TCR-T CAR-T cell signaling and functional persistence in cancer immunotherapy.

The invention provides inter alia an engineered T cell, wherein said T cell is engineered to express a T cell receptor (TCR) or an antibody-based receptor that binds to a T cell epitope of human ropporin-1A (ROPN1) or human ropporin-1B (ROPN1B); wherein said T cell epitope is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:43, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:56 and SEQ ID NO:24.

The present invention encompasses methods and compositions for the generation and use of cytotoxic T lymphocytes that target multiple viruses or that are specific for multiple tumor antigens. In specific embodiments, the generation methods employ use of certain cytokines to promote proliferation and reduce cell death in an activated T cell population and/or that employ a particular bioreactor having a gas permeable membrane.

The invention involves generating a T cell response to subdominant antigens and using the cells to therapeutically change the cellular homeostasis and nature of the immune response. In a preferred embodiment, the cells are generated outside of the patient avoiding the influence of the patient's immunologic milieu. By stimulating and growing the T cells from a patient in a tissue culture to one or more subdominant antigens and the transplanting them into the patient, if enough cells are expanded and transplanted, the transplanted cells overwhelm the endogenous dominant T cells in the response to either break or induce immune tolerance or otherwise modify the immune response to the cells or organism expressing that antigen. When the memory cells are established they are then reflective of this new immunodominance hierarchy so that the desired therapeutic effect is long lasting. In effect, the transplantation exogenously generated T cells reactive to the subdominant antigens is recapitulating priming and rebalancing the patient's immune response to target previously subdominant antigens in the cells or organism to produce a therapeutic benefit.

The present invention encompasses methods and compositions for the generation and use of cytotoxic T lymphocytes that target multiple viruses or that are specific for multiple tumor antigens. In specific embodiments, the generation methods employ use of certain cytokines to promote proliferation and reduce cell death in an activated T cell population and/or that employ a particular bioreactor having a gas permeable membrane.

The current disclosure relates to methods for treating ovarian cancer based on specific antigen expression of the cancer. Furthermore, the expressed antigen may be used in immunotherapeutic methods for treatment of the ovarian cancer. Aspects of the disclosure relate to immunotherapies targeting CT45 polypeptides, methods for treating ovarian cancer based on CT45 expression, and kits for detecting CT45 polypeptides and nucleotides.

The current disclosure relates to methods for treating ovarian cancer based on specific antigen expression of the cancer. Furthermore, the expressed antigen may be used in immunotherapeutic methods for treatment of the ovarian cancer. Aspects of the disclosure relate to immunotherapies targeting CT45 polypeptides, methods for treating ovarian cancer based on CT45 expression, and kits for detecting CT45 polypeptides and nucleotides.

The present invention relates to efficient methods for providing antigen-specific lymphoid cells. These lymphoid cells may be used to provide antigen specific T cell receptors having a defined MHC restriction and to identify immunologically relevant T cell epitopes. Furthermore, the present invention relates to antigen-specific T cell receptors and T cell epitopes and their use in immunotherapy.