International Journal of Clinical Research

Objective To construct a nasopharyngeal carcinoma microsphere model based on 3D bioprinting and analyze its response to immunotherapy drugs, aiming to provide guidance for the development of personalized treatment plans and protocols in clinical practice. Methods Complex microsphere models containing immune cells and tumor cells were constructed using 3D bioprinting technology. Untreated microsphere models were assigned to the control group, microsphere models with added PD-1 antibody were assigned to the PD-1 antibody group, microsphere models with added CTLA-4 antibody were assigned to the CTLA-4 model group, and microsphere models with added PD-1 and CTLA-4 antibodies were assigned to the combined group. In vivo experiments were conducted to verify the response of a 3D bioprinted nasopharyngeal carcinoma microsphere model to immunotherapy drugs. Untreated humanized mice were assigned to the control group, mice receiving PD-1 antibody were assigned to the PD-1 antibody group, mice receiving CTLA-4 antibody were assigned to the CTLA-4 antibody group, and mice receiving both PD-1 and CTLA-4 antibodies were assigned to the combination group. The in vitro and in vivo experimental results for each group were analyzed. Results Compared with the PD-1 antibody group, CTLA-4 antibody group, and combination group, the control group had a lower proportion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and PMBCs in the G0/G1 phase, a lower apoptosis rate, and higher levels of PD-L1, CD8+ bond protein expression, TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (P<0.05). Compared with the combination group, the PD-1 antibody group and CTLA-4 antibody group had a lower proportion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and PMBCs in the G0/G1 phase, a lower apoptosis rate, and higher levels of PD-L1, CD8+, TNF-α, IL-2, and IFN-γ expression (P<0.05). The tumor volume in the PD-1 antibody group and CTLA-4 antibody group was smaller than that in the control group at different time points, while the tumor volume in the combination group was smaller than that in the control group, the PD-1 antibody group, and the CTLA-4 antibody group at different time points (P<0.05). The expression levels of CD45 and CD8+ in the control group were higher than those in the PD-1 antibody group, CTLA-4 antibody group, and the combined group (P<0.05). In the combined group, the expression levels of CD45 and CD8+ were lower than those in the PD-1 antibody group and CTLA-4 antibody group, while the expression level of CD4+ was higher than that in the PD-1 antibody group and CTLA-4 antibody group (P<0.05). Conclusion Constructing a nasopharyngeal carcinoma microsphere model using 3D bioprinting can accurately assess the response to immunotherapy drugs, providing guidance for the rational selection of treatment drugs in clinical practice.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; 3D bioprinting; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma microsphere model; Immunotherapy drugs; Response