Abstract
The quantitative and qualitative differences of circulating nucleic acids (cirNAs) between healthy and diseased individuals have motivated researchers to utilize these differences in the diagnosis and prognosis of various pathologies. The position maintained here is that reviewing the rather neglected early work associated with cirNAs and extracellular vesicles (EVs) is required to fully describe the nature of cirNAs. This review consists of an empirically up-to-date schematic summary of the major events that developed and integrated the concepts of heredity, genetic information and cirNAs. This reveals a clear pattern implicating cirNA as a homeostatic entity or messenger of genetic information. The schematic summary paints a picture of how cirNAs may serve as homeostatic genetic entities that promote synchrony of both adaptation and damage in tissues and organs depending on the source of the message.
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Acknowledgements
The postgraduate studies of JA and AB are supported by scholarships from the North-West University and National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Aucamp, J., Bronkhorst, A.J., Pretorius, P.J. (2016). A Historical and Evolutionary Perspective on Circulating Nucleic Acids and Extracellular Vesicles: Circulating Nucleic Acids as Homeostatic Genetic Entities. In: Gahan, P., Fleischhacker, M., Schmidt, B. (eds) Circulating Nucleic Acids in Serum and Plasma – CNAPS IX. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 924. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42044-8_17
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