Forensic Context

A study in humans identified the miR-200b-5p as downregulated in denatured dermis compared to paired normal skin four days post-burn [Liang et al. DOI:10.1016/j.burns.2011.10.014], and a subsequent review confirmed its downregulation in deep partial thickness burn skin and its association with hypertrophic scarring [Siu et al. DOI:10.1111/wrr.13100]. A study in human body fluid stains demonstrated that the miR-200b-5p remained detectable via RT-qPCR in dried blood samples subjected to harsh environmental and chemical treatments, with 100% amplification success for blood across all treatments and enabling 100% accurate body fluid identification for blood after environmental exposure when used in a relative expression panel [Layne et al. DOI:10.1111/1556-4029.14113]. High-throughput sequencing of human biological fluids identified the miR-200b-5p as specific for blood and menstrual secretions, and subsequent RT-qPCR validation confirmed its differential expression, forming part of a decision matrix for body fluid identification when normalized to reference miRNAs [Seashols-Williams et al. DOI:10.1002/elps.201600258].