Abstract: The disclosure provides methods for predicting a positive clinical outcome for a cancer patient upon treatment with a 4-1BB agonistic agent, for assessing activity of such 4-1BB agonistic agent in a subject, preferably a cancer patient, and for selecting a dose of a 4-1BB agonistic agent for treating a disease, such as cancer. The disclosure also provides methods of treating cancer as well as uses of biomarkers and uses of kits for their detection.

Abstract: The disclosure provides multimeric proteins comprising three, four, or more monomer polypeptides, each comprising a first 4-1BB-targeting moiety, an oligomerization moiety, and optionally a linker. The monomer polypeptide may further comprise one or more additional targeting moieties. The oligomerization moiety promotes the trimerization, tetramerization, or higher state of oligomerization of the monomer polypeptides. Such multimeric proteins can be used in many pharmaceutical applications, for example, as anti-cancer agents and/or immune modulators. The present disclosure also concerns methods of making the multimeric proteins described herein as well as compositions comprising such multimeric proteins. The present disclosure further relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding such multimeric proteins and methods for the generation of such multimeric proteins and nucleic acid molecules.

Abstract: The disclosure provides fusion proteins specific for both CD137 and GPC3, which fusion protein can be used to co-stimulate lymphocyte activation in a GPC3-target-dependent manner. Such fusion proteins can be used in many pharmaceutical applications, for example, as anti-cancer agents and/or immune modulators for the treatment or prevention of human diseases such as a variety of tumors. The present disclosure also concerns methods of making the fusion proteins described herein as well as compositions comprising such fusion proteins. The present disclosure further relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding such fusion proteins and to methods for generation of such fusion proteins and nucleic acid molecules. In addition, the application discloses therapeutic and/or diagnostic uses of such fusion proteins as well as compositions comprising one or more of such fusion proteins.