ALU repeat as potential molecular marker in the detection and prognosis of different cancer types: A systematic review

Cancer is a major health issue worldwide. cfDNA integrity has been reported as a potential diagnostic molecular marker for different types of cancer, identifying the importance of liquid biopsy. The aim of this review was to evaluate the prognostic and diagnostic performance of (ALU) repeat in tumor. Following a thorough review of the literature published from January, 2000 to September 2021, 36 studies were included. All of the study descriptions were analyzed. According to several studies, there were increased concentrations of ALU repetitive elements in cancer patients, while these concentrations were decreased in control, benign, different cancer stage, and other diseases. The total ALU (115 and 247) sequence levels are potential biomarkers for the purpose of investigations and cancer prognosis.