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Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients
Published on: September 9, 2020
A New Paradigm of the Origins of Circulating DNA in Patients with Cancer
Alain R Thierry1,2, Ekaterina Pisareva1
1IRCM, Montpellier Cancer Research Institute, INSERM U1194, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France.
Summary:
By shedding light on the cellular origins of circulating DNA (cirDNA), this research provides important insights into the mechanisms of cirDNA production in cancer. Contrary to expectations, the increased cirDNA in patients with cancer was not derived predominantly from neoplastic cells or surrounding nonneoplastic epithelial cells; rather, the excess cirDNA originated primarily from leukocytes, implying a systemic impact of cancer on cell turnover or DNA clearance. See related article by Mattox et al., p. 2166 (1).
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