Forensic Context

A study in humans demonstrated that the miR-144-3p serves as a solid marker for blood identification, lacking specific amplification in all non-blood samples like saliva, semen, and vaginal secretion [Sauer et al. DOI:10.1016/j.fsigen.2016.01.018]. Subsequent research confirmed its highest and most distinguishable expression in peripheral and menstrual blood compared to non-blood samples, validating its role as a body fluid-specific miRNA marker for blood identification [Li et al. DOI:10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103180]. A study in humans demonstrated that miR-144-3p is a sensitive and specific identifier for menstrual blood in forensic samples, with a logistic regression model incorporating it achieving 100% correct classification in a test set and a limit of detection ≤50 pg of total RNA [Hanson et al. DOI:10.1002/elps.201400171]. In a separate forensic investigation of human fatal traumatic brain injuries, miR-144-3p was found to have significantly higher expression in cases versus controls and its expression levels showed a significant negative correlation with agonal time [Bonin et al. DOI:10.3390/ijms241310836].