The dark side of circulating nucleic acids.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26910468.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1111/acel.12454 and PMC identifier 4854914.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Free circulating or cell-free DNA (cfDNA), possibly from dying cells that release their contents into the blood as they break down, have become of major interest as a source for noninvasive diagnostics. Recent work demonstrated the uptake of human cfDNA in mouse cells in vitro and in vivo, accompanied by the activation of a cellular DNA damage response (DDR) and the appearance of apoptotic proteins in the host cells. By acting as a source of mobile genetic elements, cfDNA could be a continuous source of DNA mutagenesis of healthy cells in the body throughout life, promoting progressive cellular aging in vivo. As such, cfDNA may causally contribute to multiple aging-related diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.
Medical subject headings
- Nucleic Acids