Nucleic acids can be found both intracellularly and extracellularly. Different mechanisms, such as apoptosis, necrosis, and NETosis are responsible for their extracellular localization, where they are protected from degradation by closely associated proteins or by encapsulation in extracellular vesicles. Despite their short half-life and their relatively low concentration in biological fluids, they represent a highly active area of research because they can be extracted from non-invasive biopsies (blood, saliva, urine, stool), making them ideal for biomarker development purposes. For example, extracellular nucleic acids are currently used in clinics worldwide for non-invasive prenatal testing, diagnosis (e.g. cancer), and monitoring (e.g. cancer, organ transplantation).
Due to the primary role that extracellular nucleic acids are playing and will play in the future of diagnostics and disease progression monitoring, it is important not only to develop new methods and describe new biomarkers, but also to shed light on the biology of ecNAs, such as their biogenesis, fragmentation and sequence patterns, chemical modifications, and abundance in both healthy and diseased individuals. Moreover, manuscripts describing the physiological role of ecNAs (e.g. signaling molecules) will be particularly welcome.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscripts related to research in the field of extracellular nucleic acids (cfDNA, cfRNA, extracellular vesicles). The main topics are:
1. Characterization of the biogenesis of extracellular nucleic acids from different biospecimens (plasma, saliva, urine, etc);
2. Development of new methods for the extraction and/or characterization of extracellular nucleic acids such as imaging, amplification-based, -omics (NGS and third generation), and others;
3. Characterization of their function (e.g. signaling) in health and disease;
4. Identification of extracellular nucleic acids as biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and progression monitoring of aging and other diseases;
5. Modifications of extracellular nucleic acids and their role in the stability and function;
6. Development of new computational tools/workflows for the analysis of the features and sequence of extracellular nucleic acids.
Nucleic acids can be found both intracellularly and extracellularly. Different mechanisms, such as apoptosis, necrosis, and NETosis are responsible for their extracellular localization, where they are protected from degradation by closely associated proteins or by encapsulation in extracellular vesicles. Despite their short half-life and their relatively low concentration in biological fluids, they represent a highly active area of research because they can be extracted from non-invasive biopsies (blood, saliva, urine, stool), making them ideal for biomarker development purposes. For example, extracellular nucleic acids are currently used in clinics worldwide for non-invasive prenatal testing, diagnosis (e.g. cancer), and monitoring (e.g. cancer, organ transplantation).
Due to the primary role that extracellular nucleic acids are playing and will play in the future of diagnostics and disease progression monitoring, it is important not only to develop new methods and describe new biomarkers, but also to shed light on the biology of ecNAs, such as their biogenesis, fragmentation and sequence patterns, chemical modifications, and abundance in both healthy and diseased individuals. Moreover, manuscripts describing the physiological role of ecNAs (e.g. signaling molecules) will be particularly welcome.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscripts related to research in the field of extracellular nucleic acids (cfDNA, cfRNA, extracellular vesicles). The main topics are:
1. Characterization of the biogenesis of extracellular nucleic acids from different biospecimens (plasma, saliva, urine, etc);
2. Development of new methods for the extraction and/or characterization of extracellular nucleic acids such as imaging, amplification-based, -omics (NGS and third generation), and others;
3. Characterization of their function (e.g. signaling) in health and disease;
4. Identification of extracellular nucleic acids as biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and progression monitoring of aging and other diseases;
5. Modifications of extracellular nucleic acids and their role in the stability and function;
6. Development of new computational tools/workflows for the analysis of the features and sequence of extracellular nucleic acids.
