In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides an engineered cell having a first chimeric antigen receptor polypeptide including a first antigen recognition domain, a first signal peptide, a first hinge region, a first transmembrane domain, a first co-stimulatory domain, and a first signaling domain; and a second chimeric antigen receptor polypeptide including a second antigen recognition domain, a second signal peptide, a second hinge region, a second transmembrane domain, a second co-stimulatory domain, and a second signaling domain; wherein the first antigen recognition domain is different than the second antigen recognition domain.

Provided are methods of generating chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). In some embodiments, library screening of CAR is performed by generating a vector encoding the CAR from random attachment of vectors from libraries of vectors encoding antigen-binding domains (e.g., scFv regions), hinge regions, and endodomains. In some embodiments, the vectors contain a transposon.

The present application provides single-domain antibodies targeting BCMA, and chimeric antigen receptors (such as monovalent CAR, and multivalent CAR including bi-epitope CAR) comprising one or more anti-BCMA single-domain antibodies. Further provided are engineered immune effector cells (such as T cells) comprising the chimeric antigen receptors. Pharmaceutical compositions, kits and methods of treating cancer are also provided.

Down-regulating autoimmune regulator (AIRE) function in B cells to produce antibodies is described. The antibodies can be class-switched, high affinity, and neutralizing, and have a high degree of somatic hypermutations, even in the framework region, as compared to antibodies produced in the absence of AIRE downregulation.

The invention provides improved compositions and methods for the treatment of solid cancers.

A fusion protein comprising: a first component comprising an antibody, or a fragment or variant thereof; and a second component comprising a cytokine trap or an adenosine deaminase or a fragment or variant thereof. In certain embodiments, the antibody is an anti-PD-1 antibody. In certain embodiments, the antibody binds to a tumor antigen, for example a MUC16 or MUC1 antigen. In certain embodiments, the cytokine trap is a TGF- trap. A polynucleotide encoding such a fusion protein and a vector comprising such a polynucleotide. A composition comprising the fusion protein. A method of using the composition, including in the treatment of cancer.

Provided herein are combination therapies involving administration of an immunotherapy involving a cell therapy, such as a T cell therapy, and an inhibitor of gamma secretase. Also provided are methods for engineering, preparing, and producing the cells, compositions containing the cells and/or gamma secretase inhibitor, and kits and devices containing and for using, producing and administering the cells and/or gamma secretase inhibitor, such as in accord with the provided combination therapy methods.

A method for producing T cells with improved efficacy for adoptive immunotherapy includes obtaining a population of CD8+ T cells from a patient or a donor, determining a % of CD28+ CD8+ T cells in the obtained population, activating the determined population with anti-CD3 antibody and anti-CD28 antibody, provided that the determined population comprises at least 50% of CD28+ CD8+ T cells, or activating the determined population with anti-CD3 antibody in the absence of anti-CD28 antibody, provided that the determined population comprises less than 50% of CD28+ CD8+ T cells, transducing the activated population with a viral vector, and expanding the transduced population, in which the transducing and the expanding are carried out in the presence of at least one cytokine.

Chimeric antigen receptor-transduced T cells (CAR-T cells) show a remarkable efficacy for some hematological malignancies. However, CAR targets are restricted to a few antigens primarily due to on-target off-tumor toxicities of CAR-T cells. Although several strategies were proposed to avoid on-target off-tumor toxicities, most of them use complicated designs including dual gene expression for specificity. In this study, we show that switchable CAR immune cells (e.g., CAR-T cells) with a tumor-targeting adaptor can mitigate on-target off-tumor toxicity against the tumor antigen that cannot be targeted with conventional CAR immune cells due to this toxicity, such as CD40 and CS1. Therefore, a switchable CAR system is a valuable tool to control CAR-T cell toxicity while maintaining therapeutic efficacy, which enables CAR anti-tumor target expansion.

Described herein are methods for producing and utilizing T cells comprising chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) comprising a portion of the extracellular domain of a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) superfamily receptor ligand, e.g., A PRoliferation-Inducing Ligand (APRIL). The CAR T cells of this present invention overcome resistance to anti-BCMA targeted therapies and utilize dimerizing and trimerizing transmembrane domains for optimal function. Further, this invention is related to methods of treating cancer, plasma cell diseases or disorders, or autoimmune diseases or disorders.