# FAP

Source: https://nuclide.cc/targets/fap/  
Nuclide record `fap` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from Nuclide (nuclide.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

FAP (fibroblast activation protein) sits on the cancer-associated fibroblasts that scaffold more than 90% of epithelial cancers and is almost absent from normal adult tissue. FAPI PET tracers therefore light up tumours with high contrast, including pancreatic, gastric and low-grade cancers where FDG PET is weak, and FAP-targeted radioligands are in development.

## Summary

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.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Tags: theranostic; pet-target; stroma
- Symbol: FAP
- Class: stroma
- 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.
- Where found: Pancreatic; Gastric; Breast; Sarcoma; Almost all desmoplastic tumours

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibroblast_activation_protein,_alpha
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibroblast_activation_protein,_alpha

## Connected records

- isotopes: [Actinium-225](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/ac-225/), [Fluorine-18](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/f-18/), [Gallium-68](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/ga-68/), [Lutetium-177](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/lu-177/)
- companies: [Molecular Targeting Technologies](https://nuclide.cc/companies/molecular-targeting-technologies/), [Ratio Therapeutics](https://nuclide.cc/companies/ratio-therapeutics/), [SOFIE Biosciences](https://nuclide.cc/companies/sofie-biosciences/)
- indications: [Gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma](https://nuclide.cc/indications/gastric-oesophageal-cancer/), [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://nuclide.cc/indications/hcc/), [Non-small cell lung cancer](https://nuclide.cc/indications/nsclc/), [Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://nuclide.cc/indications/pancreatic-cancer/)
- technologies: [FAPI PET](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/fapi-pet/), [Radioligand therapy (beta emitters)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/radioligand-therapy/), [Targeted alpha therapy](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/targeted-alpha-therapy/)
- drugs: [FAP-2286 (177Lu / 68Ga)](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/fap-2286/), [Gallium-68 FAPI-46](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/ga-68-fapi-46/), [Lead-212 PSV359](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/pb-212-psv359/)
- institutions: [Heidelberg University Hospital / NCT / DKFZ](https://nuclide.cc/institutions/heidelberg-nct/), [University Hospital Düsseldorf / CIO Düsseldorf](https://nuclide.cc/institutions/uk-duesseldorf/)
- ideas: [FAP theranostics as a pan-cancer stromal strategy](https://nuclide.cc/ideas/idea-fap-theranostics-pancancer/), [FAP-targeted radioligand therapy for sarcoma](https://nuclide.cc/ideas/idea-fap-theranostics-sarcoma/), [FAPI PET as the workup for MCED positives](https://nuclide.cc/ideas/idea-mced-plus-fapi/)
- people: [Frederik Giesel](https://nuclide.cc/people/frederik-giesel/), [Ken Herrmann](https://nuclide.cc/people/ken-herrmann/), [Shaoli Song](https://nuclide.cc/people/song-shaoli/), [Uwe Haberkorn](https://nuclide.cc/people/uwe-haberkorn/)
- opportunities: [FAP imaging to stop futile pancreatic surgery](https://nuclide.cc/opportunities/opp-fap-pancreatic-staging/)

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JSON: https://nuclide.cc/api/v1/entities/fap.json