The present invention provides improved and/or shortened methods for expanding TILs and producing therapeutic populations of TILs, including novel methods for expanding TIL populations in a closed system that lead to improved efficacy, improved phenotype, and increased metabolic health of the TILs in a shorter time period, while allowing for reduced microbial contamination as well as decreased costs. Such TILs find use in therapeutic treatment regimens.

Methods of culturing T cells are provided. Accordingly there is provided a method of culturing T cells comprising adding to immune cells comprising T cells obtained from a subject having a pathology a non-cellular agent capable of binding 4-1BB and activating said 4-1BB signaling pathway; and culturing the immune cells with said agent for more than 7 days. Also provided are T cells obtainable by the method and uses thereof.

The invention relates to an immune cell that is capable of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and which comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a secreted antigen binding protein. The invention also concerns a method of producing the immune cell and medical uses for the immune cell.

Methods of culturing T cells with a 4-1BBL fusion polypeptide are provided. Accordingly there is provided a method of culturing T cells comprising adding to immune cells comprising T cells obtained from a subject having a pathology a PD1-4-1BBL or a SIRPalpha-4-1BBL fusion polypeptide; and culturing the immune cells with the fusion polypeptide for more than 7 days. Also provided are T cells obtainable by the method and uses thereof.

Methods of expanding T cells ex vivo comprising contacting the T cells with antibody molecules that bind to TCR Vβ regions are described. T cells comprise one or more nucleic acid molecule encoding an exogenous cellular receptor, for example, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or an exogenous T cell receptor (TCR).

The present invention relates to T cells, in particular a non-activated T cell, comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a T cell Receptor (TCR) specific for a virus. An embodiment of the invention is directed to a non-activated (resting) T cell expressing Hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelope s183-191 TCR capable of inhibiting viral replication and which shows reduced expression of perforins and/or granzymes in response to stimulation as compared to an activated T cell expressing the said TCR. Also encompassed are methods for producing such cells, compositions, pharmaceutical compositions and kits comprising such cells and medical uses thereof.

The present invention provides methods for preselecting TILs based on PD-1 expression, as well as methods for expanding those preselected PD-1 positive TILs in order to produce therapeutic populations of TILs with enhanced tumor-specific killing capacity (e.g., enhanced cytotoxicity).

An isolated cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL), said CTL being a tolerance inducing cell and substantially depleted of alloreactivity, and wherein said CTL does not comprise a central memory T-lymphocyte (Tcm) phenotype, the CTL being transduced to express a cell surface receptor comprising a T cell receptor signaling module, is disclosed. Methods of generating same and using same are also disclosed.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for treating cancer in an individual comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of at least one immune checkpoint inhibitor and a chimeric CD 154 polypeptide. Also provided herein are methods of enhanced immune function.

A polypeptide encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) comprising at least one extracellular binding domain that comprises a scFv formed by at least a VH chain and a VL chain specific to an antigen, wherein said extracellular binding domain comprises at least one mAb-specific epitope.