Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) with high affinity for mesothelin that can be used as an immunotherapy to treat cancers that express mesothelin, such as pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma. The technology includes CAR constructs with one of three different mesothelin-specific antibody portions, including either the mouse-derived SS or SS1 antibody fragments or the human HN1 antibody fragment.
The development of more targeted means of treating cancer is vital. One option for a targeted treatment is the creation of a vaccine that induces an immune response only against cancer cells. In this sense, vaccination involves the introduction of a peptide into a patient that causes the formation of antibodies or T cells that recognize the peptide. If the peptide is from a protein found selectively on/in cancer cells, those antibodies or T cells can trigger the death of those cancer cells without harming non-cancer cells. This can result in fewer side effects for the patient.
Tumors can develop unique genetic mutations which are specific to an individual patient. Some of these mutations are immunogenic; giving rise to autologous T cells which are tumor-reactive. Once isolated and sequenced, these neoantigen-specific TCRs can form the basis of effective adoptive cell therapy cancer treatment regimens; however, current methods of isolation are inefficient. Moreover, the process is technically challenging due to TCR sequence diversity and the need to correctly pair the a and b chain of each receptor.
This invention describes a general way to trigger the release of a bioactive small molecule from a targeting antibody. The key “trigger” is a fluorescent linker that is chemically disassembled upon irradiation with light in the near-IR range (~800 nm).
Immunotherapy is a promising method of treating cancer that leverages the immune system to promote tumor rejection. However, certain somatic mutations in cancer cells confer resistance to T cell-mediated cytolysis. To improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies for cancer, there exists a need to prospectively identify patients who are most likely to respond to such therapies.
The invention relates to novel lipid-based nanoparticles (liposomes) for use in targeted, on demand and on site drug delivery. The particles include a wall surrounding a cavity, wherein the wall is comprised of:
phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000] (DSPE-PEG2000), and
Griffithsin is a potent anti-viral protein with activity against HIV, HCV, Sars, HSV 1 & 2 and other viruses. It is active against HIV and HCV at picomolar concentrations. Griffithsin is moving into clinical trials as an anti-HIV microbicide. Based on the structure of griffithsin and the necessities of pharmaceutical product development and regulatory approval, certain mutations in the sequence of griffithsin have been generated which could add to the stability and solubility of the protein.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that typically affects the lungs. Current therapies include a panel of antibiotics given over a range of 6-9 months. As a result of the expense of treatment, the extended timeframe needed for effective treatment, and the scarcity of medicines in some developing countries, patient compliance with TB treatment is very low and results in multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). There remains a need for a faster, more effective treatment for TB.
Dopamine is a major neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and among other functions is directly related to the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. Dopamine signaling is mediated by D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5 receptors. The dopamine D3 receptor is a known target to treat a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders (e.g. cocaine and opioid), schizophrenia and depression.
Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (“INSTIs”) are currently in use as a component of prophylactic antiretroviral therapy for preventing HIV-1 infection from progressing to AIDS. Three INSTIs are approved by the FDA for inclusion in antiretroviral regiments: raltegravir (RAL), elvitegravir (EVG) and dolutegravir (DTG). Clinicians have already identified several HIV-1 integrase mutations that confer resistance to RAL and EVG, and additional mutations that confer resistance to all three INSTIs has been identified in the laboratory.