Reston, VA (August 21,
2025)--A topical fluorescent molecular contrast agent, PARPi-FL, can detect basal cell carcinoma through intact
skin in as little as five minutes in ex vivo human tissues, according to new
preclinical research published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear
Medicine. Data
confirmed that PARPi-FL is non-toxic to the skin and does not cause systemic
side effects, making it a potential one-stop-shop for diagnosis and
management of basal cell carcinoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer, and early treatment typically leads to
excellent outcomes. Definitive diagnosis, however, depends on biopsy, an
invasive procedure that can be painful and leave scars. In addition, biopsies can
delay diagnosis weeks to months and require patients to return for treatment
after histopathologic confirmation.
Emerging
nonsurgical therapies for early basal cell arcinomas could be delivered at the
bedside, but they require noninvasive diagnostic tools with high accuracy,
said Manu Jain, MD, research pathologist and optical imaging specialist,
dermatology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Our study investigated
the feasibility of using fluorescent confocal microscopy with PARPi-FL for
enhancing basal cell carcinoma detection in the clinical setting.
The study
evaluated the optimal dose, application time, and diagnostic performance of
PARPi-FL using ex vivo human tissues, including specimens from plastic surgery,
Mohs surgery (basal cell carcinomas), and fresh excisions (benign and basal
cell carcinomas). Researchers also investigated the feasibility of topical
application using gauze and real-time in vivo imaging with a commercial FCM
device in tumor-bearing mice. Preclinical toxicology studies were
conducted to determine safety as well.
A minimal
topical dose of 10 M applied for two to five minutes via gauze achieved
sufficient dermal penetration. PARPi-FL generated a strong fluorescent signal
in basal cell carcinoma lesions with significantly weaker signals in benign
tissues, supporting its diagnostic capability. Furthermore, preclinical data
confirmed that PARPi-FL is safe for topical application, said Ashish
Dhir, PhD, DABT, senior pharmacology and toxicology manager in the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization
at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Incorporating
this targeted dye into in vivo imaging could significantly improve diagnostic
accuracy, reduce unnecessary biopsies of benign lesions, and enable timely,
noninvasive treatment for basal cell carcinoma, noted Jain. Importantly,
since PARP1 is also overexpressed in melanoma, these results support the
feasibility of extending this approach to melanoma, offering a promising tool
for distinguishing malignant from benign pigmented lesions without biopsy.