Patient‐Derived 3D‐Bioprinted Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Models Recapitulate Tumor Autologous Traits and Predict Personalized Adjuvant Therapy

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Authors: Yi Lu, Liwei Du, Minghao Sun, Kai Zhang, Mingchang Pang, Shangze Jiang, Jiaxun Dong, X D Liu, Bao Jin, Feifei Xu, Han Sun, Jiangang Zhang
+14 more Huiyu Yang, Huiyu Yang, Xiaobo Yang, Xin Lu, Yiyao Xu, Hongyun Zhao, Shunda Du, Xinting Sang, Yongchang Zheng, Lei Zhang, Xueshuai Wan, Huayu Yang, Huayu Yang, Yilei Mao
Cited by: 3
References: 41

Abstract

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis, and pronounced interpatient heterogeneity severely limits the efficacy of systemic therapies, underscoring the need for rapid and accurate functional platforms to guide individualized drug selection. Here, we develop a clinically oriented, patient-derived, 3D bioprinted in vitro model for personalized drug sensitivity assessment in ICC. Using a compositionally defined and cost-effective GelMA/HAMA composite hydrogel, we reconstruct a tumor microenvironment that supports rapid self-organization and sustained viability of primary ICC cells. Histological analyses, marker expression profiling, and bright-field imaging demonstrate close similarity to matched patient tumor tissues. Genomic and transcriptomic fidelity are further confirmed by whole-exome and RNA sequencing, revealing preserved driver mutations and transcriptional programs. Drug sensitivity testing was performed on tumor samples from 21 ICC patients using clinically relevant agents. Notably, in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy, in vitro drug responses were fully consistent with clinical outcomes. Longitudinal follow-up further showed that recurrence occurred exclusively in patients who did not receive the predicted sensitive therapies. Importantly, clinically actionable drug response profiles were generated within 10 days. Collectively, this platform provides a rapid, reproducible, and patient-specific functional drug testing strategy with strong potential for clinical translation.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Cholangiocarcinoma and Gallbladder Cancer Studies Cancer Cells and Metastasis 3D Printing in Biomedical Research

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Science
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
13
Issue
22
Pages
e22025–e22025
Publication date
8 February 2026
Language
EN