Abstract: Provided herein are methods for the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of cancer. In some aspects, detection of intracellular or cytoplasmic PD-L1, or measuring the ratio of cytoplasmic to surface PD-L1, can be used to identify cancers that may respond to immunotherapies or a DDR inhibitor such as, e.g., a Chk1 inhibitor, a PARP inhibitor, an ATM inhibitor, or an ATR inhibitor.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel peptides which specifically targets and binds to dendritic cells. Also provided are fusion compositions comprising these peptides and a non-dendritic protein of fragments thereof. Further provided are DNA sequences encoding these peptides and fusion compositions. Methods of using the peptides or fusion compositions to promote an immune responses in an individual via administration also are provided.

Abstract: All lines of mammalian origin which have been stably transformed with a chimeric toxin gene expressed under the regulatory control of HIV cis-acting sequences and HIV trans-acting factors are provided by the present invention. HIV infection of a cell of such a transformed cell line results in the death of that cell due to the specific induction of toxin gene expression within the cell. As specifically exemplified, the toxin gene is the diphtheria toxin fragment A gene or a tox176 fragment A chain gene. Also provided by the present invention are recombinant nucleic acid molecules suitable for the stable transformation of a mammalian cell line to produce a transformed cell which will effectively commit suicide in response to HIV infection due to induction of toxin gene expression.