Generation of redirected engineered human chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy that involves genetic engineering a patient's own immune cells with antigen-specific receptors has shown remarkable efficacy in blood cancer treatment. Numerous clinical studies with CAR T cells targeting the blood cell surface protein CD19 led to the FDA 's first approval of a genetically engineered cell therapy. The process of generating potent CAR T cells involves several carefully performed manufacturing steps. Here, we describe the generation of redirected engineered human CAR T cells for preclinical studies starting with the CAR design, retroviral gene transfer, detection of CAR expression, and expansion of transduced T cells.