MicroRNAs法医学应用的可能性和局限性

Micro RNAs application in forensic medicine: possibilities and limitations

MicroRNAs是一类长度约18~24nt在转录后水平调控基因表达的内源性小分子非编码RNA。microRNA的高度保守性、时序性和组织特异性,使其在法医体液鉴别、个体年龄推断、死亡时间推断、毒物分析、伤因死因分析等中的应用成为可能。但法医学中microRNA鉴定数量的有限性,以及研究方法的不确定性也限制了其从理论研究到实践应用的发展。

Micro RNAs are a class of endogenous, non-coding small RNA, 18~24 nucleotides in length, that mediate the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The high conservation, time-dependent and tissue specificity of micro RNAs make it possible for forensic body fluid identification, individual age estimation, estimation of postmortem interval, toxicity analysis, and analysis of the cause of death. However, the limitation of the quantity of identified micro RNAs and the uncertainty of the research methods also limit the application micro RNA in forensic science from theoretical research to practical application.