A BSTRACT Background: Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)-based radiopharmaceuticals have rapidly expanded the landscape of molecular imaging. Among these agents, fluorine-18-labeled FAPI tracers are of increasing translational interest because fluorine-18 enables centralized cyclotron production, longer distribution windows, and potential scalability for clinical positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. Objective: This study aimed to characterize the global research landscape of 18F-FAPI radiopharmaceuticals and to identify publication trends, leading contributors, collaboration patterns, citation structures, thematic evolution, and emerging research hotspots from molecular design to clinical translation. Materials and Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using records retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. The search focused on 18F-labeled FAPI-related terms, including 18F-FAPI, Fluorine-18 FAPI, F-18 FAPI, 18F-FAPI-04, 18F-FAPI-46, 18F-FAPI-74, Al18F-FAPI, and 18F-AlF-NOTA-FAPI. The final search was performed on May 10, 2026. Bibliographic records were merged and deduplicated using Digital Object Identifier-based matching followed by title-and-year matching. Bibliometric indicators included annual publication output, productive journals, countries, institutions, authors, citation counts, keyword co-occurrence, thematic evolution, and hotspot trends. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 principles were followed for reporting the search and selection process. Results: A total of 669 records were retrieved from PubMed ( n = 91), Scopus ( n = 268), and Web of Science ( n = 310). After the removal of 396 duplicate records, 273 records remained for bibliometric analysis. Annual publication output increased from 7 records in 2021 to 95 records in 2025; 37 records were identified in 2026, representing partial-year data. The most productive journals were European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging ( n = 54) and Clinical Nuclear Medicine ( n = 41). China was the leading contributing country ( n = 230), followed by Germany ( n = 20), Japan ( n = 18), and the United States ( n = 10). The most frequent thematic areas were nuclear medicine/molecular imaging, clinical translation, preclinical/biodistribution studies, oncology, and radiochemistry. Keyword analysis showed dominant terms related to fibroblast activation protein, FAPI, PET/CT, 18F-FAPI, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, biodistribution, radiotracer development, and specific tracers such as 18F-FAPI-04 and 18F-FAPI-74. Conclusion: Research on 18F-FAPI radiopharmaceuticals has expanded rapidly, reflecting a transition from molecular design and radiochemical development toward preclinical evaluation, clinical PET/CT imaging, and early translational implementation. However, quality control, good manufacturing practice-compatible production, stability testing, and dosimetry remain comparatively underrepresented. Future studies should prioritize standardized radiosynthesis, validated analytical methods, multicenter clinical evaluation, harmonized dosimetry, and regulatory translation.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Amrenova et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: