Engineered antigen presenting cells and uses thereof

1. A recombinant extra-cellular vesicle internalizing receptor (EVIR) comprising:

(i) an extracellular antibody domain specific for a membrane molecule of a cancer cell, wherein said membrane molecule is a tumor-associated antigen;

(ii) a proteinic domain to anchor the EVIR to the membrane of an antigen-presenting cell when expressed in said cell;

and

(iii) optionally, a cell membrane export domain increasing the export of the EVIR to the cellular membrane of an antigen-presenting cell when expressed in said cell, wherein:

said EVIR comprises an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 54, SEQ ID NO: 55, SEQ ID NO: 56, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO: 58, SEQ ID NO: 59, SEQ ID NO: 60, SEQ ID NO: 61, SEQ ID NO: 62, SEQ ID NO: 63, SEQ ID NO: 64, SEQ ID NO: 132 and SEQ ID NO: 133 or a variant thereof, wherein said variant has an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% identical to the original amino acid sequence and which binds to and has specificity for said tumor-associated antigen.

2. The EVIR according to claim 1 , comprising an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 54, SEQ ID NO: 55, SEQ ID NO: 56, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO: 58, SEQ ID NO: 59, SEQ ID NO: 60, SEQ ID NO: 61, SEQ ID NO: 62, SEQ ID NO: 63 and SEQ ID NO: 64 or a variant thereof, wherein said variant has an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% identical to the original amino acid sequence and which binds to and has specificity for said tumor-associated antigen.

3. The EVIR according to claim 1 , comprising an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 132 and SEQ ID NO: 133 or a variant thereof, wherein said variant has an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% identical to the original amino acid sequence and which binds to and has specificity for said tumor-associated antigen.

4. An isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding an EVIR according to claim 1 .

5. The isolated nucleic acid according to claim 4 , said nucleic acid comprising a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 65, SEQ ID NO: 66, SEQ ID NO: 67, SEQ ID NO: 68, SEQ ID NO: 69, SEQ ID NO: 70, SEQ ID NO: 71, SEQ ID NO: 72, SEQ ID NO: 73, SEQ ID NO: 74 and SEQ ID NO: 75 or a variant thereof.

6. The isolated nucleic acid according to claim 4 , said nucleic acid comprising a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 130 and SEQ ID NO: 131 or a variant thereof.

7. A vector comprising at least one nucleic acid sequence of claim 4 .

8. The vector according to claim 7 further comprising at least one nucleic acid encoding for a functional protein that promotes survival, differentiation, proliferation, activation, maturation, phagocytosis, endocytosis, antigen-processing and presentation, T-cell recruitment in monocyte, macrophage and/or dendritic cells or a protein capable of inducing antigen presenting cell (APC) differentiation, survival, activation and/or cross-presentation or attracting and/or activating T cells.

9. A method of inducing expression of at least one EVIR in an antigen-presenting cell (APC) or a stem/progenitor cell thereof ex vivo or in subject in need thereof, comprising the steps of:

(i) ex vivo transducing said cell with a vector encoding at least one EVIR according to claim 1 or administering a vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding said EVIR to said subject under suitable conditions for inducing transduction of the subject's APCs or stem/progenitor cell thereof in vivo with said vector; and

(ii) optionally inducing cell differentiation, maturation or activation either ex vivo and\or in vivo.

10. An isolated antigen presenting cell (APC) or a stem or progenitor cell thereof expressing at least one EVIR according to claim 1 .

11. An ex vivo method of preparing EVIR-expressing, tumor associated antigens (TAAs)-presenting cells, comprising the steps of:

(i) providing at least one cancer cell or at least one cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicle (EV) obtained from a cancer subject;

(ii) providing an EVIR-expressing cell according to claim 10 ;

(iii) contacting, ex vivo, an EVIR-expressing cell provided under (ii) with said at least one cancer cell or EV provided under (i); and

(iv) collecting EVIR-expressing, tumor associated antigens (TAAs)-presenting cells obtained in step (iii).

12. A pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one vector encoding at least one EVIR according to claim 1 or antigen presenting cells (APC) or stem cells or progenitor cell thereof transduced with said at least one vector and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient thereof.

13. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 12 , wherein said composition is a vaccine composition.

14. A kit comprising at least one EVIR according to claim 1 , or at least one recombinant expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding said EVIR or an antigen presenting cell (APC) or a stem cell or progenitor cell thereof expressing said EVIR.

15. A method of treating a cancer, said method comprising administering to a subject in need of treatment:

a) an effective amount of an isolated antigen presenting cell (APC) or a stem or progenitor cell thereof expressing at least one EVIR according to claim 1 ; or

b) at least one recombinant vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding said EVIR.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said cancer is a carcinoma, sarcoma, melanoma, brain tumor, hematological cancer, or a pre-malignant or malignant neoplasm.

17. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 12 , said pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one vector encoding at least one EVIR comprising an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 54, SEQ ID NO: 55, SEQ ID NO: 56, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO: 58, SEQ ID NO: 59, SEQ ID NO: 60, SEQ ID NO: 61, SEQ ID NO: 62, SEQ ID NO: 63, SEQ ID NO: 64, SEQ ID NO: 132 and SEQ ID NO: 133 or a variant thereof, wherein said variant has an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% identical to the original amino acid sequence and which binds to and has specificity for said tumor-associated antigen and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient thereof.

18. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 12 , said pharmaceutical composition comprising an antigen presenting cell (APC) or a stem cell or progenitor cell thereof expressing at least one EVIR, said at least one EVIR comprising an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 54, SEQ ID NO: 55, SEQ ID NO: 56, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO: 58, SEQ ID NO: 59, SEQ ID NO: 60, SEQ ID NO: 61, SEQ ID NO: 62, SEQ ID NO: 63, SEQ ID NO: 64, SEQ ID NO: 132, SEQ ID NO: 133 and variants thereof, wherein said variant has an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% identical to the original amino acid sequence and which binds to and has specificity for said tumor-associated antigen and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient thereof.