A craniopharyngioma (CP) is a rare epithelial tumor of the sellar and parasellar region. CPs are difficult to treat due to their anatomical proximity to critical nervous structures, which limits the ability of the surgeon to completely resect the lesion, exposing patients to a high risk of recurrence. The treatment of craniopharyngiomas is primarily surgery and radiotherapy. So far, neither a cell line nor an animal model has been established, and thus data on other treatment options, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, are limited. Here, the expression profile of the pan-cancer antigen B7-H3 in various cancer types including CP was examined by immunohistochemistry. An in vitro organoid model was established by using fresh tissue biospecimens of CP. Based on the organoid model, we evaluated the antitumor efficacy of B7-H3-targeted immunotherapy on CP. As a result, the highest expression of B7-H3 was observed in CP tissues across various cancer types. Although B7-H3-targeted chimeric antigen-receptor T cells show obvious tumor-killing effects in the traditional 2D cell culture model, limited antitumor effects were observed in the 3D organoid model. The B7-H3-targeted antibody-DM1 conjugate exhibited a potent tumor suppression function both in 2D and 3D models. In conclusion, for the first time, we established an organoid model for CP and our results support that B7-H3 might serve as a promising target for antibody-drug conjugate therapy against craniopharyngioma.
Keywords: B7-H3; brain cancer; craniopharyngioma; immunotherapy; organoid.