Atherosclerosis (AS) is the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) with a high rate of mortality worldwide. Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA), mainly originating from apoptosis, necrosis, and active secretion, has been recognized as a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of multiple cancers, whereas there are no reports about cfDNA in CVDs. Here, we found an increased quantity and decreased integrity of cfDNA (cfDI) in the serum from AS patients compared with normal controls. Moreover, the reduced cfDI is inversely correlated with serum LDL levels, carotid plaque size, and carotid plaque thickness in the progression of AS. Consistently, in vivo experiments confirmed that the release and cleavage of cfDNA were increased concomitantly with the development and progression of AS in ApoE⁻/⁻ mice. Our study sheds light on the potential of cfDNA and cfDI as molecular biomarkers for detecting and monitoring AS.

Introduction: This study establishes a novel quantitative acoustic mass spectrometry (QAMS) methodology for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) detection.Methods: Chromatographic separation utilized a Peptide C18 column (1.8 μm, 50 mm) with 0.1% formic acid/acetonitrile gradient elution, coupled to tandem mass spectrometry operated in scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (sMRM) mode.Results: The method demonstrated a lower limit of quantification (LOQ) of 10 ng/mL with linear dynamic range spanning 10-500 ng/mL. Comparative analysis of 74 paired plasma specimens revealed strong inter-matrix correlation with quantifiable bias.Discussion: These advancements position QAMS- as a robust tool for decentralized IGF-1 monitoring, particularly valuable in pediatric growth disorder studies and resource-limited settings. Longitudinal stability validation and isoform differentiation remain focal points for future optimization.

A newly recognized class of master regulators known as long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has emerged as key modulators of cancer. Among them, HOXA transcript antisense RNA myeloid‑specific 1 (HOTAIRM1) was initially identified in acute promyelocytic leukemia, where it resides within the HOXA gene cluster. The involvement of HOTAIRM1 has been indicated in the pathogenesis of multiple cancer types, including glioma, acute myeloid leukemia and osteosarcoma, has been well documented. HOTAIRM1 controls the growth, invasion and migration of tumors through different mechanisms and it is associated with the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with tumors. The present review describes the expression, function and molecular mechanism of HOTAIRM1 in different types of cancer and discusses the future obstacles in diagnosing and treating malignant tumors.