Mahmut AKTÜRK, Eda BALKAN, Necip ALTUNDAŞ, Murat KIZILKAYA
New Trends in Medicine Sciences - 2026;7(2):64-71
Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) refers to DNA fragments originating from the transplanted organ tissue that are detected in the recipient's circulation as products of cellular degradation. In recent years, dd-cfDNA has emerged as a compelling biomarker for immune monitoring and early diagnosis of rejection in solid organ transplantation -particularly in kidney, heart, lung, and liver transplants -due to its potential to provide earlier and more sensitive signals compared to conventional biomarkers. This review aims to address the biological foundations of dd-cfDNA, its measurement methodologies, organ-specific experimental and clinical data, as well as its current limitations and future perspectives.
