Abstract: The present disclosure and invention relates to a chimeric protein useful in adoptive cell therapy (ACT) which is a membrane-associated signalling protein that can be induced to provide a cell expressing the protein with a STAT-5-mediated signal. Also provided are nucleic acid molecules encoding such a chimeric protein, 5 recombinant constructs, vectors and cells containing the nucleic acid molecule, methods of producing such cells, and therapeutic uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chimeric receptors (e.g. CARs including both single chain and multichain CARs) that bind to TREM2 ligands and their use in therapy. In particular, the invention provides a chimeric receptor comprising: (a) an exodomain comprising the ligand binding domain of TREM2 or a functional variant thereof, optionally wherein said exodomain is resistant to cleavage by a sheddase; (b) a transmembrane domain; and (c) an endodomain comprising an intracellular signalling domain.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a hydrogel comprising a functionalized PEG multi-arm star polymer covalently combined with maleimide-functionalized low molecular weight heparin, further comprising at least one positively charged immune molecule, a method for producing this hydrogel and its use in T cell culture for immunotherapies. Furthermore, the invention relates to a bioink and its use in 3D-(bio)-printing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polypeptide comprising a sequence having the formula R1-L-R2-St wherein R1 and R2 are Rituximab-binding epitopes; St is a stalk sequence which, when the polypeptide is expressed at the surface of a target cell, causes the R1 and R2 epitopes to be projected from the cell surface; and L is a flexible linker sequence which connects the C terminus of R1 to the N terminus of R2. In particular, the linker sequence does not comprise a QBEnd10 binding epitope comprising the sequence set out in SEQ ID NO.1. The polypeptide functions as a suicide moiety which enables cells expressing the polypeptide to be deleted, and is useful in adoptive cell therapy. Also provided is a nucleic acid encoding such a polypeptide, a cell comprising such a nucleic acid and therapeutic uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a chimeric receptor, particularly a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), wherein said chimeric receptor comprises an endodomain comprising (i) a STAT5 association motif, and a JAK1 and/or JAK2 binding motif and (ii) a JAK3 binding motif, wherein (i) and (ii) are connected by a linker or hinge.

Abstract: The present invention provides an engineered regulatory T cell (Treg) comprising a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), wherein the CAR comprises an antigen recognition domain which specifically binds to asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR). The present invention also provides a method of promoting liver tissue repair and/or regeneration in a subject which comprises the step of administering to the subject an engineered Treg comprising a CAR or a pharmaceutical composition comprising the engineered Treg, wherein the CAR comprises a liver-specific antigen recognition domain.

Abstract: The present invention provides an engineered regulatory T cell (Treg) comprising a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) for use in induction of tolerance to a transplant; treating and/or preventing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), an autoimmune or allergic disease; to promote tissue repair and/or tissue regeneration; or to ameliorate chronic inflammation secondary to metabolic disorders; wherein the CAR comprises an endodomain which comprises a STAT association motif and a JAK1- and/or a JAK2-binding motif.

Abstract: Embodiments are described of a light guide including a proximal end, a distal end, a front surface and a back surface, an ambient input region on the front surface near the distal end, and an output region on the back surface near the distal end. A beamsplitter having a plurality of faces has one face optically coupled to the proximal end of the light guide, and a display is optically coupled to another face of the beamsplitter. A projector assembly is optically coupled to a face of the beamsplitter opposite the beamsplitter face that is optically coupled to the light guide. A reflecting element having optical power is positioned at the distal end of the light guide, and a distal optical element is positioned in the light guide near the distal end.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method and kit for the in vitro diagnosis and/or prognosis of the tolerant state of a patient to be submitted to liver transplantation, which comprises assessing the level of systemic and/or intra-hepatic iron stores in a biological sample obtained from the patient under investigation, and comparing it either with the level of iron stores of a reference sample, or with a pre-determined threshold.

Abstract: The long-term survival of transplanted grafts critically depends on the life-long administration of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent graft rejection. These drugs are very effective at preventing graft rejection, but they are also associated with severe side effects. Inventors have selected a set of genes whose expression characterizes the tolerant state in liver transplantation in humans. Based on the expression level profile of this set of genes, inventors provide a non-invasive method to assess diagnosis and/or prognosis of the tolerant state in liver transplantation in humans, and kits to perform it. These kits are simpler and cheaper than others based on a great number of genes, such as commercial microarrays with thousands of probes.