A Scalable Protocol for Ex Vivo Production of CAR-Engineered Human NK Cells

Chimeric antigen receptor-expressing NK (CAR-NK) cells represent an advancing frontier in cancer immunotherapy, building upon decades of natural killer cell research and recent breakthroughs in CAR technology. While early CAR-NK manufacturing protocols have demonstrated feasibility, existing manufacturing methods, whether utilizing cord blood or peripheral blood sources, often require extended culture periods and intensive labor, creating bottlenecks for widespread therapeutic application. To address these manufacturing hurdles, we have developed an optimized protocol for ex vivo CAR-NK cell production from human peripheral blood that incorporates lessons learned from previous methodologies while introducing novel efficiency improvements. This protocol offers a practical solution for scalable CAR-NK cell manufacturing that can be readily adapted across different production facilities, potentially accelerating the clinical development of CAR-NK therapies.