The present disclosure relates to genetically modified B cells, including memory cells, differentiated to plasmablasts or plasma cells useful for long tem in vivo expression of a transgene, such as a specific antibody or other protein therapeutic. Also disclosed are methods of producing the cells and methods of treatment.

The present invention is directed to compositions and methods to increase the expression of PD-L1 and/or IDO-1 in a population of cells, the modulated cells expressing increased PD-L1 and/or IDO-1, and methods related to the immunosuppressive effects obtained by cells expressing increased PD-L1 and/or IDO-1.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for ex vivo expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for use in adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Also disclosed are compositions and method for identifying an agent for ex vivo expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for use in ACT. Also disclosed are methods for treating cancer using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expanded by the disclosed methods.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for use in generating an immune response against a target peptide antigen. Also included, are methods for stabilizing, treating, and eliminating various diseases and conditions associated with target peptide expression.

Embodiments of the disclosure concern methods and compositions for immunotherapy for human papillomavirus infection and diseases associated therewith. In specific embodiments, methods concern production of immune cells that target one or more antigens of HPV16 and/or HPV18, including methods with stimulation steps that employ IL-7 and IL-15, but not IL-6 and/or IL-12. Other specific embodiments utilize stimulations in the presence of certain cells, such as costimulatory cells and certain antigen presenting cells.

The present disclosure relates to genetically modified B cells, including memory cells, differentiated to plasmablasts or plasma cells useful for long term in vivo expression of a transgene, such as a specific antibody or other protein therapeutic. Also disclosed are methods of producing the cells and methods of treatment.

Methods for producing an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to an antigen of interest, methods for inducing proliferation of PBMCs, B cell activation and differentiation, B cell maturation, and/or promoting class switch in an antibody-producing PBMC to produce IgG, compositions for the in vitro immunization and methods for identifying an antibody-enhancing factor for in vitro immunization.

An improvement to the GiWi protocol for differentiating human pluripotent cells to developmentally mature cardiomyocytes includes a step of activating innate immunity in mesoderm stage cells in the in vitro differentiation culture. When the mesoderm cells, which are precursors to cardiac progenitor cells, are primed by exposure to an activator of innate immunity, a population of cardiomyocytes is generated that is more developmentally mature than is generated in the GiWi protocol without the primed step. Also provided herein are in vitro ventricular conductive microtissues and isolated, in vitro populations of ventricular conduction system-like cells and methods for making the same.

The present disclosure relates to compositions, nucleic acid constructs, methods and kits thereof for cell induction or reprogramming cells to the dendritic cell state or antigen presenting cell state, based, in part, on the surprisingly effect described herein of novel use and combinations of transcription factors that permit induction or reprogramming of differentiated or undifferentiated cells into dendritic cells or antigen presenting cells. Such compositions, nucleic acid constructs, methods and kits can be used for inducing dendritic cells in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo, and these induced dendritic cells or antigen presenting cells can be used for immunotherapy applications.

In some aspects, disclosed are methods and compositions for disc regeneration and/or repair using one or more components from conditioned media from fibroblasts. In certain cases, conditioned media is obtained from fibroblasts stimulated with one or more opioid receptor antagonists and one or more toll-like receptor agonists. Conditioned media from fibroblasts may be provided in an effective amount to an individual in need thereof.