Proteins, nucleic acids encoding the proteins, compositions comprising the proteins, and methods are provided. The proteins have the ability to be self-targeted to ICAM-1 and, if desired, enzymatically-released at acidic pH. The ICAM-1-targeting peptides are provided as single copies or multiples repeats, and can be separated by linkers from the enzyme segment, from which the ICAM-1 targeting peptides can be released, if desired, at acidic pH. These fusion proteins enhance the activity of the enzyme segment within or liberated from the fusion protein, and provide increased recognition and targeting of diseased organs, transport from the bloodstream across the endothelium into said diseased organ, and intracellular uptake and lysosomal trafficking by cells in them, both in peripheral tissues and the central nervous system. Representative nucleotide and amino acid sequences of these fusion proteins, as well as in vitro, cellular, and in vivo animal data are provided. The described proteins can be used as a protein therapy, a gene therapy, or an implanted cell therapy.

The present invention is directed to methods for preparing a recombinant cell and a fusion cell for a dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine, wherein the recombinant cell and the fusion cell comprise DNA of a cancer cell. The present invention is also directed to the fusion cells comprising genomic DNA of a tumor cell, a method for fusing human dendritic cells and fibroblast cells, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the fusion cell, and a method of preventing cancer comprising administering to a cancer patient an effective amount of the fusion cells.

Proteins, nucleic acids encoding the proteins, compositions comprising the proteins, and methods are provided. The proteins have the ability to be self-targeted to ICAM-1 and, if desired, enzymatically-released at acidic pH. The ICAM-1-targeting peptides are provided as single copies or multiples repeats, and can be separated by linkers from the enzyme segment, from which the ICAM-1 targeting peptides can be released, if desired, at acidic pH. These fusion proteins enhance the activity of the enzyme segment within or liberated from the fusion protein, and provide increased recognition and targeting of diseased organs, transport from the bloodstream across the endothelium into said diseased organ, and intracellular uptake and lysosomal trafficking by cells in them, both in peripheral tissues and the central nervous system. Representative nucleotide and amino acid sequences of these fusion proteins, as well as in vitro, cellular, and in vivo animal data are provided. The described proteins can be used as a protein therapy, a gene therapy, or an implanted cell therapy.

Disclosed herein are novel compositions and methods for stimulation of and the production or expansion of natural killer (NK) cells. Numbers of NK cells can be increased following contact with exosomes modified with one or more stimulatory peptides. Methods and compositions for the production of exosomes, wherein the exosomes comprises stimulatory peptides are also described. Also described are methods of treating cancer using the disclosed NK-stimulating exosomes or NK cells stimulated by the disclosed methods.

Provided is an engineered immune cell. The expressions of at least one MHC related gene and at least one NK activating receptor binding molecule are suppressed or silenced, so as to suppress the killing of the engineered immune cell by NK cells. Also provided are a pharmaceutical composition comprising the engineered immune cell and use of the engineered immune cell in preparation of drugs for treatment of cancer, infection, or autoimmune diseases.

Provided herein are recombinant poxviruses that are stable through successive passaging of the recombinant poxviruses. More particularly, the recombinant poxviruses comprise one or more modified nucleic acids encoding MUC1, CEA, and/or TRICOM antigens, wherein the recombinant poxviruses are stable through successive passaging. Also, provided herein are compositions and method related thereto.

Chimeric antigen receptors containing ROR1 antigen binding domains are disclosed. Nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, host cells, antigen binding fragments, and pharmaceutical compositions, relating to the chimeric antigen receptors are also disclosed. Methods of treating or preventing cancer in a subject, and methods of making chimeric antigen receptor T cells are also disclosed.

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for immunotherapies Immune cells can be engineered to exhibit enhanced half-life as compared to control cell (e.g., a non-engineered immune cell). Immune cells can be engineered to exhibit enhanced proliferation as compared to a control cell. Immune cells can be engineered to effectively and specifically target diseased cells (e.g., cancer cells) that a control cell otherwise is insufficient or unable to target. The engineered Immune cells disclosed herein can be engineered ex vivo, in vitro, and in some cases, in vivo. The engineered Immune cells that are prepared ex vivo or in vitro can be administered to a subject in need thereof to treat a disease (e.g., myeloma or solid tumors). The engineered Immune cells can be autologous to the subject. Alternatively, the engineered immune cells can be allogeneic to the subject.

Recombinant viruses and viral nucleic acids are contemplated that provide to the infected cell various regulatory molecules that stimulate T-cell and NK-cell activity and that suppress inhibition of T-cell and NK-cell activity. Most preferably, the virus and viral nucleic acid will further include a human cancer-associated sequence, and especially a sequence that encodes a plurality of cancer associated antigens, cancer specific antigens, and/or patient and tumor specific neoantigens. Especially preferred regulatory molecules include CD80 (B7.1), CD86 (B7.2), CD54 (ICAM-1/BB2), CD11 (LFA-1), and an inhibitor of CTLA-4.

Compositions and methods of enhancing the potency and efficacy of adoptive cell therapy using integrin-ligand stabilizers, wherein the integrin is selected from the group consisting of α4β1, α5β1, α4β7, αvβ3 and αLβ2, and contacting the effector cells ex vivo with agonists or stabilizers having the general Formula (I); methods of treating integrin-expressing cells with such stabilizers to enhance tumor infiltration; and therapeutic methods comprising administering stabilizer or agonist-treated cells to a mammal requiring treatment of solid tumors, hematologic cancers.