FAP
FAP is a protein on the scaffolding cells that surround many tumours, so it lights up almost any solid cancer on a PET scan.
Fibroblast activation protein is expressed on cancer-associated fibroblasts in >90% of epithelial cancers, with minimal expression in normal adult tissue. FAPI PET tracers (68Ga-FAPI-46, 18F-FAPI-74) offer high tumour-to-background contrast, including in cancers where FDG is weak (pancreatic, gastric, low-grade). FAP-targeted radioligands (177Lu/225Ac-FAP-2286) are in development.
- Target · the protein and the cell it sits on
- Drug · antibody, small molecule, cell or radioligand
- Effect · signal, damage or kill
In plain words · FAP is a protein on the scaffolding cells that surround many tumours, so it lights up almost any solid cancer on a PET scan.
- 1 · What it is
FAP is a protein on the scaffolding cells that surround many tumours, so it lights up almost any solid cancer on a PET scan.
- 2 · What goes wrong in cancer
Serine protease on activated fibroblasts; a stromal target rather than a tumour-cell target, so it is pan-cancer but does not report on the malignant cell itself.
- 3 · How drugs use it
1 product aims at FAP: radioligands. The target is on the supporting tissue around the tumour, so drugs aim to breach the wall or use it as a beacon for radioligands and imaging.
Biology
Serine protease on activated fibroblasts; a stromal target rather than a tumour-cell target, so it is pan-cancer but does not report on the malignant cell itself.
- Pancreatic
- Gastric
- Breast
- Sarcoma
- Almost all desmoplastic tumours
How common it is, by cancer
| Cancer | Prevalence | Measure | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma | >90% | Stromal FAP by IHC/FAPI PET | Cancer-associated fibroblasts | Wikipedia |
| Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer | >85% | Stromal FAP | Wikipedia | |
| Triple-negative breast cancer | >80% | Stromal FAP | Wikipedia | |
| Sarcomas | 60-90% | Tumour and stromal FAP | Wikipedia |
Approximate, population-level figures; the measure column says what was counted. Ranges show the midpoint as a bar.
Latest papers
topQuery for this target: (TITLE:"FAP" OR ABSTRACT:"FAP") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about FAP, not a curated reading list.