Abstract: Provided are CD19 binding molecules, including anti-CD19 antibodies, including antibody fragments such as single-chain fragments, and chimeric receptors including the antibodies, such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Among the antibodies are human antibodies, including those that compete for binding to CD19 with reference antibodies, such as murine antibodies. In some embodiments, the antibodies display similar functional properties to the reference antibodies, such as comparable binding affinities and/or competitive inhibition properties. Also provided are genetically engineered cells expressing the chimeric receptors, and uses of the binding molecules and cells adoptive cell therapy.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of identifying genomic region(s) predictive of an outcome of treatment with a cell therapy and/or of a phenotype of function of the cells. In some embodiments, the methods include epigenetic and/or epigenomic analyses of the cells in connection with methods for preparing engineered cells for cell therapy and/or predicting response to a cell therapy, e.g., engineered cells for cell therapy. In some embodiments, the methods include steps to assess, characterize and analyze changes or modifications in an epigenetic property of gene region or regions, such as chromatin accessibility, nucleosome occupancy, histone modification, spatial chromosomal conformation, transcription factor occupancy and/or DNA methylation. In some embodiments, the epigenetic and/or epigenomic analysis includes determining the epigenetic properties of a cell, e.g., an engineered cell for cell therapy.

Abstract: Provided herein are BCMA-binding molecules, including anti-BCMA antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof such as heavy chain variable (VH) regions and single-chain antibody fragments, and chimeric receptors comprising the anti-BCMA binding molecules such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). In some embodiments, the anti-BCMA antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof specifically bind to BCMA-1. Among the anti-BCMA antibodies are human antibodies, including those that compete for binding to BCMA with reference antibodies, such as a non-human reference antibody. Also provided are genetically engineered cells expressing the CARs or BCMA-binding molecules and uses thereof such as in adoptive cell therapy.

Abstract: Provided are methods, kits and compositions related to toxicity associated with administration of cell therapy for the treatment of diseases or conditions, e.g., cancer, including methods for use in predicting and treating a toxicity. In some embodiments, the toxicity is a neurotoxicity or cytokine release syndrome (CRS), such as a severe neurotoxicity or a severe CRS. The methods generally involve detecting a parameter of a biomarker or individually a parameter of each biomarker in a panel of biomarkers, such as a concentration, amount or activity, and comparing the detected parameter to a reference value for the parameter to determine if the subject is at risk for developing the toxicity, such as neurotoxicity or CRS or severe neurotoxicity or severe CRS.

Abstract: Provided are methods, systems, and kits for cell processing, e.g., for therapeutic use, such as for adoptive cell therapy. The provided methods include transduction methods, in which cells and virus are incubated under conditions that result in transduction of the cells with a viral vector. The incubation in some embodiments is carried out in an internal cavity of a generally rigid centrifugal chamber, such as a cylindrical chamber made of hard plastic, the cavity of which may have a variable volume. The methods include other processing steps, including those carried out in such a chamber, including washing, selection, isolation, culture, and formulation. In particular, the disclosure relates to method providing advantages over available processing methods, such as available methods for large-scale processing. Such advantages include, for example, reduced cost, streamlining, increased efficacy, increased safety, and increased reproducibility among different subjects and conditions.

Abstract: Provided herein are engineered B cells, such as for adoptive cell therapy. In some aspects, also provided are methods and compositions for engineering and producing the cells, compositions containing the cells, and methods for their administration to subjects. In some embodiments, the cells are engineered to produce and/or secrete an exogenous protein, such as a therapeutic protein, including antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof. In some aspects, features of the cells and methods provide for increased or improved activity, efficacy and/or persistence of the cells.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for assessing cell surface glycans, e.g., N-glycans, by assessing a sample of released surface glycans, and determining the presence, absence, or level of glycans present in the sample. Also provided are methods of assaying and/or evaluating a cell composition by assessing the cell surface glycan profile of the cell composition and comparing the profile to a reference sample. Methods for manufacturing and/or culturing a plurality of cell compositions having consistent surface glycan expression with low variability are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are anti-idiotype antibodies that specifically recognize anti-ROR1 antibody moieties, in particular, anti-ROR1 antibody moieties present in recombinant receptors, including chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). The disclosure further relates to uses of anti-idiotype antibodies for specifically identifying and/or selecting cells expressing such recombinant receptors, such as anti-ROR1 CAR T cells. The disclosure further relates to uses of anti-idiotype antibodies for specifically blocking or activating such cells.

Abstract: Provided are methods for administering multiple doses of cells, such as T cells, to subjects for cell therapy. Also provided are compositions and articles of manufacture for use in the methods. The cells generally express recombinant receptors such as chimeric receptors, e.g., chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or other transgenic receptors such as T cell receptors (TCRs). The methods generally involve administering a first and at least one consecutive dose of the cells. Timing of the doses relative to one another, and/or size of the doses, in some embodiments provide various advantages such as lower or reduced toxicity and improved efficacy, for example, due to increased exposure of the subject to the administered cells. In some embodiments, the first dose is a relatively low dose, such as one that reduces tumor or disease burden, thereby improving the efficacy of consecutive or subsequent doses, and the consecutive dose is a consolidating dose.

Abstract: Provided are methods and articles of manufacture for use with cell therapy for the treatment of diseases or conditions, e.g., cancer, including for predicting and treating a toxicity. In some embodiments, the toxicity is a neurotoxicity or cytokine release syndrome (CRS), such as a severe neurotoxicity or a severe CRS. The methods generally involve detecting a marker by assaying a biological sample from a subject that is a candidate for treatment, optionally with a cell therapy, to determine if the subject is at risk for developing the toxicity, such as neurotoxicity or CRS or severe neurotoxicity or severe CRS. In some embodiments, the methods and articles of manufacture further includes a regent for assaying the biological sample and instructions for determining the percentage or number of cells positive for the marker in the biological sample.

Abstract: Provided herein are binding molecules, such as those that recognize or bind a peptide epitope of a cancer antigen, such as expressed on a cancer cell, including cells infected with human papilloma virus (HPV) or that contain HPV DNA sequences and/or those that recognize or bind a peptide epitope of HPV 16 E6 or E7, in the context of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule. Among the provided binding molecules are T cell receptors (TCRs) or antibodies, including antigen-binding fragments thereof, that bind or recognize such peptide epitopes. The present disclosure further relates to engineered cells comprising such binding molecules, e.g., TCRs or antibodies (and chimeric antigen receptors containing the antibodies), and uses thereof in adoptive cell therapy.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for stimulating, enriching, expanding, and/or activating engineered cells that express a recombinant receptor, e.g., a chimeric antigen receptor. In some embodiments, the provided methods include ex vivo or in vitro stimulation, enrichment, expansion, and/or activation of cells by incubation with a particle, e.g., a bead particle, attached to a binding molecule, such as a polypeptide antigen or anti-idiotype antibody, that recognizes or binds to the recombinant receptor. Also provided herein are methods for transfecting or transducing cells that have not been previously incubated with an activating or stimulating agent, such as have not been incubated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies and/or one or more recombinant cytokines, by transducing or transfecting the cells in the presence of the particles with attached binding molecules. In some embodiments, the provided compositions can be used in methods to prepare cells, e.g.

Abstract: Provided are cells, such as engineered cells, that express a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) or a modified form thereof. In some embodiments, the cell further contains a genetically engineered recombinant receptor, such as a chimeric antigen receptor, that specifically binds to an antigen. The present disclosure also provides methods of detecting, identifying, selecting or targeting cells expressing PSMA, such as in connection with administration of such cells to subjects, including methods of adoptive cell therapy, or in connection with methods of manufacturing engineered cells.

Abstract: Provided in some aspects are compositions of cells for treating subjects with disease and conditions such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and related methods, compositions, uses and articles of manufacture. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-cell NHL). The cells generally express recombinant receptors such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) for targeting an antigen, such as CD 19, on cells of the lymphoma.

Abstract: Provided are methods of detecting replication competent virus, e.g., replication competent retrovirus such as gammaretrovirus or lentivirus, in a sample containing a cell transduced with a viral vector particle encoding a recombinant and/or heterologous molecule, e.g., heterologous gene product. The methods may include assessing transcription of one or more target genes, such as viral genes, that are expressed in a retrovirus but not expressed in the viral vector particle. Replication competent retrovirus may be determined to be present if the levels of RNA of the one or more target genes is higher than a reference value, which can be measured directly or indirectly, including from a positive control sample containing RNA from the respective target gene at a known level and/or at or above the limit of detection of the assay.

Abstract: Provided are anti-idiotype antibodies that specifically recognize anti-GPRC5D antibody moieties, in particular, anti-GPRC5D antibody moieties present in recombinant receptors, including chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). The disclosure further relates to uses of antiidiotype antibodies for specifically identifying and/or selecting cells expressing such recombinant receptors, such as anti-GPRC5D CAR T cells. The disclosure further relates to uses of anti-idiotype antibodies for specifically activating such cells.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates in some aspects to methods, cells, and compositions for preparing cells and compositions for genetic engineering and cell therapy. Provided in some embodiments are streamlined cell preparation methods, e.g., for isolation, processing, incubation, and genetic engineering of cells and populations of cells. Also provided are cells and compositions produced by the methods and methods of their use. The cells can include immune cells, such as T cells, and generally include a plurality of isolated T cell populations or types. In some aspects, the methods are capable of preparing of a plurality of different cell populations for adoptive therapy using fewer steps and/or resources and/or reduced handling compared with other methods.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of producing engineered T cell compositions enriched for CD57 negative and/or CD27 positive T cells, such as from a plurality of donors. In some embodiments, the T cells are engineered with a recombinant receptor, such as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Also provided herein are engineered T cell compositions containing T cells enriched for CD57 negative and/or CD27 positive T cells derived from a plurality of different donors, including compositions in which the T cells are engineered with or express a recombinant receptor (e.g. CAR). Also provided are methods of using the engineered T cell compositions in adoptive therapy, including in connection for cancer immunotherapy, such as for allogeneic therapies or for administration to one or more subjects in which the T cells are not derived from the subject(s) to whom the compositions are administered.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for producing polymer-DNA nanoparticles of a predetermined size. In one example, a method includes mixing together a first solution comprising deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with a second solution comprising a cationic polymer to obtain a polyplex solution, and at a predetermined time subsequent to mixing together the first solution and the second solution, adding a polyplex stabilizing agent to stabilize the size of the polyplex. In this way, transfection efficacy of the polymer-DNA nanoparticles may be improved, in particular with reference to transfection of suspension cells for production of viral vectors.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and articles of manufacture for use with cell therapy for the treatment of diseases or conditions, e.g., cancer, including for predicting and treating a toxicity. In some embodiments, the toxicity is related to cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The methods generally involve assessing a change in a factor indicative of tumor burden in a subject that is associated with and/or correlate to a risk of developing toxicity. In some aspects, the methods can be used to determine if the subject is at risk or likely at risk for developing a toxicity following administration of the cell therapy. Also provided are methods for treating a subject having a disease or condition, in some cases involving administration of the cell therapy, based on assessment of risk of developing a toxicity following administration of the therapy. Also provided herein are reagents and kits for performing the methods.