Treatment with autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells can achieve outstanding clinical response rates in heavily pretreated patients with B and plasma cell malignancies. However, relapses occur, and they limit the efficacy of this promising treatment approach. The complex GMP-compliant production and high treatment costs cause that CAR T cells cannot yet be used in a broad population. Among others, CAR T cell therapy has evolved regarding vector design and manufacturing process. Optimal production of CAR T cells is not yet defined, far from being standardized. Quality, cellular composition and immunophenotype of the administered CAR T cells are influenced by the manufacturing protocol and therefore play a crucial role for therapeutic success. For the gene transfer, viral and non-viral strategies are available. Retrovirus-based protocols for CAR T cell production offer advantages in terms of stable gene integration, sufficient transduction efficiency, proven clinical success, and scalability. Here, we detail a retrovirus-based generation protocol of human CAR-modified T cells for experimental immunotherapeutic treatment of cancer cells. For the CAR generation, HEK-293-based packaging cell lines, CD3+ selection, CD3/CD28-coated bead-based activation and IL-2/IL-15-mediated expansion were used. This protocol can be applied for every possible CAR construct after being successfully transfected in HEK-293-based packaging cell lines.
Institut(e)Unit for Clinical Pharmacology (KKG-EKLiP)
FörderungenBruno and Helene Joster Foundation Ernst-Jung-Stiftung German Cancer Aid (AvantCAR.de) Melanoma Research Alliance Grants International Doctoral Program i-Target: Immunotargeting of Cancer - Elite Network of Bavaria Hector Foundation Marie Sklodowska-Curie Program Training Network for Optimizing Adoptive T Cell Therapy of Cancer - H2020 Program of the European Union BioVec Pharma Quebec Network for Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy (TheCell) Forderprogramm fur Forschung und Lehre (FoFoLe) of the Medical Faculty of the LMU Munich Novartis InCa Forderpreis 2022 for young researchers DKTK School of Oncology LMU Munich's Institutional Strategy LMUexcellent within the framework of the German Excellence Initiative Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung Deutsche Jose Carreras Leukamie-Stiftung Bavarian Research Foundation (BAYCELLator) Fritz Bender Foundation Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) European Research Council Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung Bavarian Ministry for Economical Affairs Go-Bio Initiative Else Kroner-Fresenius-Stiftung