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- lα 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. |