Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: Methods and composition for potentiating germinal centers are disclosed herein. The methods include potentiating germinal centers to enhance antibody production in response to a vaccine, to increase antibody titer in response to a vaccine, and to enhance B cell class switching.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: In the past, adoptive immunotherapy often failed because the transferred immune cells were inactive in vivo. This disclosure provides a method of producing immune cells that are highly active in vivo. The immune cells may be expanded in vitro in the presence of an adenosine receptor agonist or an antisense nucleic acid that downregulates expression of an adenosine receptor, for example. The immune cells may be tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), natural killer (NK) cells, or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, for example. The methods described herein may be used to treat a number of diseases including cancer, infectious diseases, and immunodeficiencies.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: The invention includes methods of treating, preventing, or limiting obesity or weight gain, or reducing or suppressing appetite, by the administration of A2A adenosine receptor pathway agonists. The A2AR pathway agonists may be administered in conjunction with a therapeutic agent having a side effect of weight gain, in order to prevent or limit that weight gain. In some instances, the A2AR pathway agonist is administered as a sleeping pill, and in other instances the A2AR pathway agonist is administered in a non-drowsy formulation.

Abstract: Methods for modulating responsiveness to increased oxygen levels in an at-risk subject identifying an at-risk subject; and before exposing the identified at-risk subject to an increased amount of oxygen, administering to the at-risk subject an anti-inflammatory agent wherein the responsiveness of the at-risk subject to said increased amount of oxygen is modulated as compared to the responsiveness of the at-risk subject to said increased amount of oxygen in the absence of said anti-inflammatory.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: In the past, adoptive immunotherapy often failed because the transferred immune cells were inactive in vivo. This disclosure provides a method of producing immune cells that are highly active in vivo. The immune cells may be expanded in vitro in the presence of an adenosine receptor agonist or an antisense nucleic acid that downregulates expression of an adenosine receptor, for example. The immune cells may be tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), natural killer (NK) cells, or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, for example. The methods described herein may be used to treat a number of diseases including cancer, infectious diseases, and immunodeficiencies.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for enhancing an immune response, for example to a vaccine, by combining the administration of oxygen (O2 gas), an adenosine pathway antagonist and/or an HIF-1? antagonist, and/or inhibitors of enzymes that produce or generate adenosine with the administration of the vaccine to the patient. The present invention also relates to methods of inducing or enhancing immune responses, methods of treating subjects having a tumor, methods of ablating or killing tumor cells and methods of disrupting the blood supply to a tumor, comprising administering oxygen alone or in combination with therapeutic agents that prevent inhibition of anti-tumor T cells. Tumor defense-resistant immune cells, anti-viral immune cells, and methods of their production are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods for modulating inflammation by administering HIF-1? inhibitors or compounds affecting HIF-1? expression and/or transcriptional activities are disclosed. HIF-1? affecting compounds include compounds that directly inhibit HIF-1? and/or interfere into expression of other proteins and regulation of biochemical pathways that target HIF-1? for degradation in vivo. Also disclosed are methods to enhance the inflammatory response and the destruction of pathogens (e.g., viruses, bacteria) and thereby preventing or minimizing pathogen-induced tissue injury. Also disclosed are methods to enhance the anti-tumor T cell response and the destruction of cancerous tumors and thereby preventing or minimizing metastasis-induced tissue injury. Also provided are methods to accomplish the opposite goal and decrease collateral damage by overactive T cells and thereby protect tissues of vital organs in a novel anti-inflammatory treatment.

Abstract: A method is provided for the quantitative study of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activation by measuring secreted granule-associated BLT esterase activity after incubating the cytotoxic T-lymphocytes with activating stimuli. This method can be used to screen inhibiting (drugs) or activating agents (monoclonal antibodies) (at selected sub-optimal levels of activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes.