# PARP PET

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/parp-pet/  
OnCo record `parp-pet` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A PET tracer that measures how much of the DNA repair enzyme PARP a tumour has, to predict response to PARP inhibitors.

## Summary

PARP PET uses radiolabelled analogues of the PARP inhibitors olaparib and rucaparib, such as 18F-FluorThanatrace (FTT, Penn) and 18F-PARPi (MSK), which bind PARP1 in the nucleus and so measure both expression of the enzyme and drug engagement at the target. The rationale is that genomic HRD tests read a permanent scar, whereas a PARP tracer reports the tumour's current state. Trials in ovarian, breast and head-and-neck cancer test whether uptake predicts benefit from PARP inhibitors beyond BRCA and HRD status, and whether a fall in uptake on treatment confirms target engagement. It offers a direct pharmacodynamic readout that complements genomic HRD, but remains at the research stage and is available at only a few academic sites. It is a scan that measures how much of the DNA repair enzyme a tumour has, to predict whether a PARP inhibitor will work.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: phase-2
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Principle: Radiolabelled olaparib or rucaparib analogues bind PARP1 in the nucleus.
- Strengths: Direct pharmacodynamic readout; Complements genomic HRD
- Limitations: Research stage; Limited to a few academic sites

## Sources

- Makvandi et al., A PET imaging agent for evaluating PARP-1 expression in ovarian cancer (Journal of Clinical Investigation 2018): https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI97992

## Connected records

- cancers: [Ovarian cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/ovarian/), [Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)](https://onco.cc/cancers/tnbc/)
- fronts: [Imaging](https://onco.cc/fronts/imaging/)
- technologies: [PET (positron emission tomography)](https://onco.cc/technologies/pet/)
- targets: [PARP](https://onco.cc/targets/parp/)
- key papers: [A PET imaging agent for evaluating PARP-1 expression in ovarian cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-makvandi-j-clin-invest/)
- institutions: [Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania](https://onco.cc/institutions/penn-abramson/)
- pathways: [Base excision repair, PARP & alkylation damage](https://onco.cc/pathways/base-excision-repair-parp/), [DNA damage response & homologous recombination](https://onco.cc/pathways/ddr/)
- roadmaps: [Molecular imaging roadmap: FDG → PSMA → FAP → antigen and immune PET](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/molecular-imaging-roadmap/)
- people: [Robert H. Mach](https://onco.cc/people/robert-mach/)

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