Establishment of a scalable engineered cell-line platform for direct, GMP-grade production of eVLP vectors enabling streamlined generation of gene-edited CAR-T/NK cells.

INTRODUCTION

CRISPR-Cas9 has transformed the engineering of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells and chimeric antigen receptor NK (CAR-NK) cells; however, its clinical translation remains constrained by the high cost, batch-to-batch variability, and stringent regulatory requirements associated with current viral and electroporation-based manufacturing approaches.

METHODS

We report an industrial-grade platform based on monoclonal producer cell lines that enables the continuous and scalable generation of engineered virus-like particles (eVLPs) co-packaging Cas9-gRNA ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). A progenitor cell line was established by stably integrating three core modules-Gag-Pol, Gag-Cas9, and the baboon endogenous virus (BaEV) envelope-into a single HEK293T clone. Introduction of a self-inactivating (SIN) retroviral vector encoding the gRNA cassette (exemplified here by CD7) converted this progenitor into a dedicated eVLP producer within 10 days.

RESULTS

Using this platform, we generated CD7-knockout CAR-T/NK cells that retained robust in vitro cytotoxicity, confirming preserved functional activity. Owing to its modular architecture, the platform is readily extensible. For example, integration with Recombinant Adeno-associated Virus (rAAV) donor templates enables site-specific CAR insertion, while multiplexed eVLP cocktails allow simultaneous disruption of multiple genomic loci.

DISCUSSION: It is worth noting that this workflow eliminates the need for electroporation, reduces serum dependency, and significantly lowers the cost of reagent consumables. Collectively, this system provides a GMP-compliant and broadly adaptable strategy for the streamlined manufacturing of next-generation autologous and allogeneic gene-edited CAR-T/NK therapies.