Protocol for production of tonic CAR T cells with dasatinib

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are synthetic molecules composed of an extracellular antigen-binding domain and an intracellular signaling domain, leading to tonic signaling and manufacturing challenges. We present a protocol for the expansion of tonic CARs by using a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved kinase inhibitor, dasatinib. We report steps for T cell transduction with retrovirus, expansion and verification of CAR quality using flow cytometry, and killing assay. At only 30 nM, dasatinib improves tonic CAR T cell proliferation and quality after expansion. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Caulier et al.¹.