Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Metabolic Diseases

Metabolic diseases affect a consistent part of the human population, leading to rising mortality rates. This raises the need for diagnostic tools to monitor the progress of these diseases. Lately, circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for various metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. CfDNA is released from apoptotic and necrotic cells into the bloodstream and other body fluids, and it retains various molecular signatures of its tissue of origin. Thus, cfDNA load and composition can reflect tissue pathologies and systemic metabolic dysfunctions. In addition to its potential as a diagnostic biomarker, interest in cfDNA derives from its recently discovered role in adipose tissue inflammation in obesity. This review discusses detection methods and clinical significance of cfDNA in metabolic diseases.