Virus-inspired compositions and methods of redirecting preexisting immune responses using the same for treatment of cancer

A method of treating, reducing the occurrence of, inhibiting the progression and/or metastasis of, a cancer in a subject in need thereof, which comprises administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of a composition comprising:

• a plurality of virus proteins, wherein each of said plurality of virus proteins comprises a mutated amino acid sequence of a Papillomaviridae L1 protein;
• one or more peptides each comprising one or more epitopes from one or more pathogens other than a Papillomaviridae antigenic peptide;
• wherein the mutated amino acid sequence of the Papillomaviridae L1 protein comprises at least the following mutations with respect to the wild type L1 protein sequence:
• (a) a deletion of at least five amino acid residues from an amino-terminus, and (b) a deletion of at least ten amino acid residues from the helix four region,
• wherein the one or more peptides are attached to the plurality of virus proteins, and
• wherein said plurality of virus proteins spontaneously assemble to form an icosahedron or dodecahedron capsid having a triangulation number T equal to 1 that binds to proteoglycan expressed on tumor cells.