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Circulating Cell-Free DNA for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutic Monitoring

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Genomic Applications in Pathology

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Abstract

The presence of cell-free circulating DNA has been known for many years, but only recently has this knowledge been translated for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. In part this is due to the fact that technologies to accurately assess these molecules did not exist. The ability to detect rare DNA molecules in the circulation, such as fetal genetic anomalies and cancer DNA, required advances in technology that have only recently become available. In this chapter, we review the history of circulating DNA, technologies for identifying and measuring circulating DNA, and newer applications that are promising to become new standards of care for clinical medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Julia A. Beaver & Ben H. Park

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  1. Julia A. Beaver
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  2. Ben H. Park
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pathology, Oncology and Urology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    George Jabboure Netto

  2. Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Iris Schrijver

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Beaver, J.A., Park, B.H. (2015). Circulating Cell-Free DNA for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutic Monitoring. In: Netto, G., Schrijver, I. (eds) Genomic Applications in Pathology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0727-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0727-4_6

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