AUTHOR=Sánchez-Herrero Estela , Serna-Blasco Roberto , Robado de Lope Lucia , González-Rumayor Víctor , Romero Atocha , Provencio Mariano 

TITLE=Circulating Tumor DNA as a Cancer Biomarker: An Overview of Biological Features and Factors That may Impact on ctDNA Analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2022.943253

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2022.943253

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Cancer cells release nucleic acids, freely or associated with other structures such as vesicles into body fluids, including blood. Among these nucleic acids, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a minimally invasive biomarker for tumor molecular profiling. However, certain biological characteristics of ctDNA are still unknown. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge about ctDNA biological features, including size and structure as well as the mechanisms of ctDNA shedding and clearance, and the physio-pathological factors that determine ctDNA levels. A better understanding of ctDNA biology is essential for the development of new methods that enable the analysis of ctDNA.</p>