Clinical utility of donor-derived cell-free DNA testing in cardiac transplantation

Abstract

Surveillance of allograft health after transplantation has traditionally relied on biopsy procedures that enable pathologic assessment for acute rejection. Noninvasive methods to assess for graft injury have been developed and tested over the past decade, and now offer a convenient way to reduce reliance on invasive testing and improve patient satisfaction. Emerging evidence suggests that detection of allograft injury via donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) may, in fact, have better sensitivity compared to traditional biopsy-based strategies. This state-of-the-art review describes the development, testing, and current use of dd-cfDNA assays for acute rejection monitoring after heart transplantation, and discusses innovative ways that such assays can be used for personalized patient management.

Keywords: acute rejection; cell-free DNA; donor; heart transplant; noninvasive testing.