This invention provides methods and compositions for using evaluating biomarker expression in a disease and providing a multi-targeted Listeria-based immunotherapeutic approach against said disease. In a related aspect, the invention relates to a method of treating a disease in a subject, the method comprising the steps of: a. obtaining a biological sample from said subject; b. evaluating the expression of a predetermined number of biomarkers in said biological sample; c. administering to said subject a composition comprising a recombinant Listeria strain, said strain comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one fusion protein, wherein said fusion protein comprises a biomarker identified in said biological sample, wherein said biomarker is associated with said disease, wherein said biomarker is fused to a PEST-containing polypeptide, and wherein each fusion protein within said Listeria comprises a different biomarker, thereby treating said disease in said subject.

The disclosure provides for a vaccine depot formulation that comprises a biodegradable thermosensitive hydrogel that has been loaded or embedded with nanoparticles that comprise an antigen and adjuvant, and uses thereof for protecting a subject from an infection or disease.

Devices, systems, and methods can be used for the automated production of dendritic cells (DC) from dendritic cell progenitors, such as monocytes obtained from peripheral blood, and the automated generation of immunotherapeutic products from those dendritic cells, all within a closed system. The invention makes it possible to obtain sufficient quantities of a subject's own DC for use in preparing and characterizing vaccines, for activating and characterizing the activation state of the subject's immune response, and to aid in preventing and/or treating cancer or infectious disease.

Provided are delivery immunostimulatory bacteria that have enhanced colonization of tumors, the tumor microenvironment and/or tumor-resident immune cells, and enhanced anti-tumor activity. The immunostimulatory bacteria are modified by deletion of genes encoding the flagella, or by modification of the genes so that functional flagella are not produced, and/or are modified by deletion of pagP or modification of pagP to produce inactive PagP product. As a result, the immunostimulatory bacteria are flagellin.sup. and/or pagP.sup.. The immunostimulatory bacteria optionally have additional genomic modifications so that the bacteria are adenosine or purine auxotrophs. The bacteria optionally are one or more of asd.sup., purI.sup., and msbB.sup.. The immunostimulatory bacteria, such as Salmonella species, are modified to encode immunostimulatory proteins that confer anti-tumor activity in the tumor microenvironment, and/or are modified so that the bacteria preferentially infect immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, or tumor-resident immune cells, and/or are modified to induce less cell death in immune cells than in other cells. Also provided are methods of inhibiting the growth or reducing the volume of a solid tumor by administering the immunostimulatory bacteria.

The invention relates to a method comprising a step of determining the number, concentration and/or proportion of T lymphocytes with a CD4.sup.+ CD8.sup.low phenotype and further expressing CCR6 and/or CXCR6, for (i) diagnosing, (ii) prognosing outcome of, or (iii) predicting the risk of developing a disease related to a decrease of F. prau. The invention also concerns the treatment of said disease by administering a population of these specific T lymphocytes. The Inventors have indeed identified two markers, CCR6 and CXCR6, enabling to select a population of F. prau-specific cells among CD4.sup.+ CD8.sup.low T lymphocytes, from a blood sample and without needing to assess their F. prau specificity. T lymphocytes with a CD4.sup.+ CD8.sup.low CCR6+ CXCR6+ phenotype are for example significantly decreased in IBD patients. The disease related to a decrease of F. prau is particularly an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease.

The invention relates to a method comprising a step of determining the number, concentration and/or proportion of T lymphocytes with a CD4.sup.+ CD8.sup.low phenotype and further expressing CCR6 and/or CXCR6, for (i) diagnosing, (ii) prognosing outcome of, or (iii) predicting the risk of developing a disease related to a decrease of F. prau. The invention also concerns the treatment of said disease by administering a population of these specific T lymphocytes. The Inventors have indeed identified two markers, CCR6 and CXCR6, enabling to select a population of F. prau-specific cells among CD4.sup.+ CD8.sup.low T lymphocytes, from a blood sample and without needing to assess their F. prau specificity. T lymphocytes with a CD4.sup.+ CD8.sup.low CCR6+ CXCR6+ phenotype are for example significantly decreased in IBD patients. The disease related to a decrease of F. prau is particularly an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease.

The present invention provides methods of producing in vitro derived neutrophils or macrophages in xenogen- and serum-free conditions from pluripotent stem cells and in vitro derived populations of neutrophils and macrophages. Methods of treatment using in vitro derived neutrophils or macrophages are also contemplated.

Devices, systems, and methods can be used for the automated production of dendritic cells (DC) from dendritic cell progenitors, such as monocytes obtained from peripheral blood, and the automated generation of immunotherapeutic products from those dendritic cells, all within a closed system. The invention makes it possible to obtain sufficient quantities of a subject's own DC for use in preparing and characterizing vaccines, for activating and characterizing the activation state of the subject's immune response, and to aid in preventing and/or treating cancer or infectious disease.

Provided herein are compositions comprising T cells expressing a recombinant virus-specific T cell receptor (rTCR-V) specific for a viral antigen restricted by a predetermined HLA type, rTCR-Vs, methods for preparing them, their use for treatment, and libraries containing such rTCR-V or T cells comprising them.

Provided are delivery immunostimulatory bacteria that have enhanced colonization of tumors, the tumor microenvironment and/or tumor-resident immune cells, and enhanced anti-tumor activity. The immunostimulatory bacteria are modified by deletion of genes encoding the flagella, or by modification of the genes so that functional flagella are not produced, and/or are modified by deletion of pagP or modification of pagP to produce inactive PagP product. As a result, the immunostimulatory bacteria are flagellin and/or pagP.sup.. The immunostimulatory bacteria optionally have additional genomic modifications so that the bacteria are adenosine or purine auxotrophs. The bacteria optionally are one or more of asd.sup., purI.sup., and msbB.sup.. The immunostimulatory bacteria, such as Salmonella species, are modified to encode immunostimulatory proteins that confer anti-tumor activity in the tumor microenvironment, and/or are modified so that the bacteria preferentially infect immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, or tumor-resident immune cells, and/or are modified to induce less cell death in immune cells than in other cells. Also provided are methods of inhibiting the growth or reducing the volume of a solid tumor by administering the immunostimulatory bacteria.