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Gerra MC, Dallabona C, Cecchi R. Epigenetic analyses in forensic medicine: future and challenges. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:701-719. [PMID: 38242965 PMCID: PMC11003920 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03165-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The possibility of using epigenetics in forensic investigation has gradually risen over the last few years. Epigenetic changes with their dynamic nature can either be inherited or accumulated throughout a lifetime and be reversible, prompting investigation of their use across various fields. In forensic sciences, multiple applications have been proposed, such as the discrimination of monozygotic twins, identifying the source of a biological trace left at a crime scene, age prediction, determination of body fluids and tissues, human behavior association, wound healing progression, and determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI). Despite all these applications, not all the studies considered the impact of PMI and post-sampling effects on the epigenetic modifications and the tissue-specificity of the epigenetic marks.This review aims to highlight the substantial forensic significance that epigenetics could support in various forensic investigations. First, basic concepts in epigenetics, describing the main epigenetic modifications and their functions, in particular, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA, with a particular focus on forensic applications, were covered. For each epigenetic marker, post-mortem stability and tissue-specificity, factors that should be carefully considered in the study of epigenetic biomarkers in the forensic context, have been discussed. The advantages and limitations of using post-mortem tissues have been also addressed, proposing directions for these innovative strategies to analyze forensic specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carla Gerra
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 11a, Viale Delle Scienze 11a, 43124, Parma, PR, Italy
| | - Cristina Dallabona
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 11a, Viale Delle Scienze 11a, 43124, Parma, PR, Italy.
| | - Rossana Cecchi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Antonio Gramsci 14, 43126, Parma, PR, Italy
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Song B, Qian J, Fu J. Research progress and potential application of microRNA and other non-coding RNAs in forensic medicine. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:329-350. [PMID: 37770641 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03091-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
At present, epigenetic markers have been extensively studied in various fields and have a high value in forensic medicine due to their unique mode of inheritance, which does not involve DNA sequence alterations. As an epigenetic phenomenon that plays an important role in gene expression, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) act as key factors mediating gene silencing, participating in cell division, and regulating immune response and other important biological processes. With the development of molecular biology, genetics, bioinformatics, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, ncRNAs such as microRNA (miRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and P-element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA (piRNA) are increasingly been shown to have potential in the practice of forensic medicine. NcRNAs, mainly miRNA, may provide new strategies and methods for the identification of tissues and body fluids, cause-of-death analysis, time-related estimation, age estimation, and the identification of monozygotic twins. In this review, we describe the research progress and application status of ncRNAs, mainly miRNA, and other ncRNAs such as circRNA, lncRNA, and piRNA, in forensic practice, including the identification of tissues and body fluids, cause-of-death analysis, time-related estimation, age estimation, and the identification of monozygotic twins. The close links between ncRNAs and forensic medicine are presented, and their research values and application prospects in forensic medicine are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binghui Song
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and DNA Forensic Medicine, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Jie Qian
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and DNA Forensic Medicine, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and DNA Forensic Medicine, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Laboratory of Forensic DNA, the Judicial Authentication Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
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Li Y, Wang Z, Ishmael D, Lvy Y. The potential of using non-coding RNAs in forensic science applications. Forensic Sci Res 2023; 8:98-106. [PMID: 37621455 PMCID: PMC10445561 DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
With the continuous development and integration of molecular biology and forensic science, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially ncRNAs with regulatory functions such as microRNA, long non-coding RNA, and circular RNA, have recently been actively explored by forensic scholars. In this study, we review the literature on these ncRNAs in various fields of forensic science, including postmortem interval determination, wound age estimation, forensic age assessment, cause of death analysis, and body fluid identification, aiming to evaluate the current research and provide a perspective for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawen Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuoqun Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Dikeledi Ishmael
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yehui Lvy
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Wound Prevention and Treatment, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
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