Forensic Context

A meta-analysis in humans identified the miR-520d-5p as part of a robust peripheral miRNA signature for mild traumatic brain injury, where it was found to be upregulated in serum and predicted to target 1566 genes, with enriched pathways including MAPK, TGF-β, WNT, and PI3K/AKT signaling [Matyasova et al. DOI:10.4149/gpb_2021038]. A study in humans identified the miR-520d-5p as a pregnancy-associated biomarker, with high expression in serum during pregnancy [Silva et al. DOI:10.1016/J.Fsigen.2014.09.002]. In a separate investigation in older human monozygotic twins, the miR-520d-5p was associated with longitudinal phenotypic decline, showing a negative beta coefficient reflecting decreased functionality over time with higher baseline miRNA level [La Grotta et al. DOI:10.1016/j.mad.2025.112099].