COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR TREATING T CELL EXHAUSTION

1 . A method for treating T cell exhaustion in a subject that has cancer, comprising administering an effective amount of one or more modified immune cells to the subject, wherein the immune cells are lymphocytes, natural killer cells, myeloid cells, or combinations thereof, and wherein the one or more modified immune cells comprises a MYC fusion protein comprising (i) a protein transduction domain; and (ii) a MYC polypeptide sequence.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is identified as having altered expression of at least one immune cell marker of T cell exhaustion compared to expression of the at least one immune cell marker in a healthy control.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the immune cell marker is an immune checkpoint protein.

4 . (canceled)

5 . (canceled)

6 . (canceled)

7 . (canceled)

8 . (canceled)

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modified immune cells are derived from immune cells isolated from the subject.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the immune cells isolated from the subject are obtained from the peripheral blood, the lymph node, spleen, or tumor of the subject.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modified immune cells are prepared by contacting the immune cells in vitro with the MYC fusion protein.

13 .- 14 . (canceled)

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the protein transduction domain is a TAT protein transduction domain sequence.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the MYC fusion protein comprises SEQ ID NO: 1.

17 .- 18 . (canceled)

19 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the altered expression comprises an increase in the cell surface expression of one or more immune cell receptors.

20 .- 89 . (canceled)

90 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is a carcinoma, adenoma, adenocarcinoma, blastoma, sarcoma, or lymphoma.