The Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Potential of Cell-Free DNA with a Special Focus on COVID-19 and Other Viral Infections

Galina Hovhannisyan; Tigran Harutyunyan; Rouben Aroutiounian; Thomas Liehr

doi:10.3390/ijms241814163

The Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Potential of Cell-Free DNA with a Special Focus on COVID-19 and Other Viral Infections

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Sep 15;24(18):14163. doi: 10.3390/ijms241814163.

Authors

Galina Hovhannisyan¹, Tigran Harutyunyan¹, Rouben Aroutiounian¹, Thomas Liehr²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Genetics and Cytology, Yerevan State University, Alex Manoogian 1, Yerevan 0025, Armenia.
² Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Human Genetics, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany.

Abstract

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in human blood serum, urine, and other body fluids recently became a commonly used diagnostic marker associated with various pathologies. This is because cfDNA enables a much higher sensitivity than standard biochemical parameters. The presence of and/or increased level of cfDNA has been reported for various diseases, including viral infections, including COVID-19. Here, we review cfDNA in general, how it has been identified, where it can derive from, its molecular features, and mechanisms of release and clearance. General suitability of cfDNA for diagnostic questions, possible shortcomings and future directions are discussed, with a special focus on coronavirus infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; cell death; cfDNA; extracellular vesicles; viral infections.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Body Fluids*
COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19* / diagnosis
Cell-Free Nucleic Acids*
Humans
Prognosis
Virus Diseases*

Substances

Cell-Free Nucleic Acids

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of RA, grant number 21AG-1F068; besidesthe German Research Foundation Projekt-No. 512648189 and the Open Access Publication Fund of the Thüringer Universitäts-und Landesbibliothek Jena supported the publication costs.