Abstract:
Lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with the highest incidence and mortality rates. Its complex tumor microenvironment (TME) poses major challenges for conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture systems and animal models, which fail to accurately reproduce in vivo pathological conditions. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology-featuring controllable spatial resolution, multi-cell co-printing capability, and structural reproducibility-has emerged as a powerful tool for reconstructing the lung cancer TME. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in 3D bioprinted lung cancer models, encompassing printing techniques, optimization of bio-ink systems, model construction strategies, and the clinical relevance of drug sensitivity testing. Particular attention is given to vascularization and immune co-culture approaches that recapitulate tumor heterogeneity, metabolic gradients, and immune interactions. The advantages of 3D bioprinted models over traditional 2D cultures in predicting therapeutic responses and enabling precision drug screening and personalized treatment are also highlighted. Future research should focus on standardizing bio-ink formulations, integrating patient-derived organoids with microfluidic platforms, and establishing robust evaluation systems to facilitate the clinical translation and application of 3D bioprinting in precision lung cancer diagnosis and therapy.