title: The dark side of circulating nucleic acids.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gravina
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sedivy
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vijg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids
keywords: DNA damage; aging; cell-free DNA; mutagenesis