Making Universal Donor CAR NK Cells

Making Universal Donor CAR NK Cells 1024 320 Abbie Miller
Illustration showing how universal donor CAR NK cells are made, with natural killer cells collected from a blood donor, expanded with feeder cells, and genetically edited using CRISPR to knock out CD38 for cancer immunotherapy.
Diagram showing the process of creating CAR NK cells for cancer immunotherapy, including CD33 gene insertion via AAV, evaluation of knockout and knock-in success, cryopreservation of CAR NK cells, and delivery of off-the-shelf CAR NK therapy to patients.

This article appeared in the 2025 Fall/Winter print issue. Download the issue here.

 

Image credit: Nationwide Children’s

About the author

Abbie (Roth) Miller, MS, MWC, is a passionate communicator of science. As the manager of medical and science content at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, she shares stories about innovative research and discovery with audiences ranging from parents to preeminent researchers and leaders. She is a Medical Writer Certified®, credentialed by the American Medical Writers Association, and received her masters of science in Health Communication from Boston University.