The invention provides compositions and methods for treating diseases associated with expression of a tumor antigen as described herein. The invention also relates to nucleic acids comprising a truncated PGK promoter operably linked to a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific to a tumor antigen as described herein, vectors encoding the same, and recombinant T cells comprising the CARs of the present invention. The invention also includes methods of administering a genetically modified T cell expressing a CAR that comprises an antigen binding domain that binds to a tumor antigen as described herein.

The present application provides constructs comprising an antibody moiety specifically recognizing Glypican 3 (GPC3), such as a cell surface-bound GPC3. Also provided are methods of making and using these constructs.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for enhancing the immune response toward cancers and pathogens. It relates to chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) comprising a mutated CD28 intracellular motif, and cells comprising such CARs. The presently disclosed subject matter further relates to the use of said cells for treating diseases, e.g., for treating cancers.

The invention provides an isolated and purified nucleic acid sequence encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) directed against B-cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA). The invention also provides host cells, such as T-cells or natural killer (NK) cells, expressing the CAR and methods for destroying multiple myeloma cells.

The invention provides novel light-switchable CAR T-cells that can be remotely controlled through NIR-light-converting upconvension nanoparticles, and related CAR T constructs, nanoparticles, compositions and methods thereof for optogenetic therapy.

The present disclosure provides a system that enables precise temporal control of the serum half-life a therapeutic moiety by inducing the association or disassociation of the therapeutic moiety with an Fc domain by a small molecule. The present disclosure also provides a system that enables precise control of the serum half- life a T cell engager domain by incorporating a chemically induced dimerizer (CID). One half of the CID is fused to a T cell engager, and the other half of the CID is fused to a HSA binding domain. Addition or removal of a small molecule induces association or dissociation of the T cell engager with HSA, thereby enabling precise temporal control of the serum half-life the T cell engager.

Methods and compositions are provided related to therapeutic receptors, including chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), capable of specifically binding TYRP-1. The disclosed compositions include, for example, cells (e.g., immune cells) expressing TYRP-1 specific CARs, nucleic acids encoding TYRP-1 specific CARs, and TYRP-1 specific CAR polypeptides. Certain aspects relate to methods of treating cancer, including melanoma, using compositions comprising TYRP-1 specific CARs, for example cells expressing TYRP-1 specific CARs. In some embodiments, provided herein are chimeric polypeptides comprising a TYRP-1 binding domain, a hinge region, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular signaling domain.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for enhancing the immune response toward cancers and pathogens. The presently disclosed subject matter provides methods and compositions for enhancing the immune response toward cancers and pathogens. It relates to cells comprising a c-Kit mutant, e.g., a c-Kit mutant comprising an activating mutation. The cells can further comprise an antigen-recognizing receptor (e.g., a chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) or a T cell receptors (TCR)). The presently disclosed subject matter relates to the use of cells for treatment, e.g., treating cancers.

Methods of culturing embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and/or differentiated cells in culture medium comprising activin are described. In one aspect, the disclosure features a pluripotent human stem cell, wherein the stem cell comprises: (i) a genomic edit that results in loss of function of Cytokine Inducible SH2 Containing Protein (CISH) and (ii) a genomic edit that results in a loss of function of an agonist of the TGF beta signaling pathway, or a genomic edit that results in a loss of function of adenosine Ata receptor.

This disclosure describes genetically engineered natural killer (NK) cells, pharmaceutical compositions that include these NK cells, and methods of making and using these NK cells.