REVIEW article
Front. Mol. Biosci.
Sec. Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA) in Human Body Fluids: Molecular Characteristics, Release Mechanisms, and Clinical Translation—An Updated Review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- 2Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- 3Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
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Since its discovery, cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA) has emerged as a promising non-invasive molecular marker for disease diagnosis and prognosis. However, the biological origins of cf-mtDNA remain incompletely understood, which limits its clinical applications. This review comprehensively summarizes the molecular characteristics, release mechanisms, and diagnostic applications of cf-mtDNA. By discussing standardization of cf-mtDNA detection methods, this review aims to provide theoretical foundations for clinical translation of this emerging biomarker.
Keywords: Body Fluids, cf-mtDNA, Molecular features, Molecular markers, Release mechanism
Received: 04 Jan 2026; Accepted: 05 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 ma, 管, Liu and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yu Liu
Shunchang Zhou
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