Ezegbogu M, Wilkinson E, Reid G, Rodger EJ, Brockway B, Russell-Camp T, Kumar R, Chatterjee A. Cell-free DNA methylation in the clinical management of lung cancer.
Trends Mol Med 2024:S1471-4914(24)00062-5. [PMID:
38582623 DOI:
10.1016/j.molmed.2024.03.007]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
The clinical use of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation in managing lung cancer depends on its ability to differentiate between malignant and healthy cells, assign methylation changes to specific tissue sources, and elucidate opportunities for targeted therapy. From a technical standpoint, cfDNA methylation analysis is primed as a potential clinical tool for lung cancer screening, early diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment, pending the outcome of elaborate validation studies. Here, we discuss the current state of the art in cfDNA methylation analysis, examine the unique features and limitations of these new methods in a clinical context, propose two models for applying cfDNA methylation data for lung cancer screening, and discuss future research directions.
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