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Updated: Nov 15, 2025
A Quantitative Detection Method for MicroRNAs in the Kidney of an Ischemic Kidney Injury Mouse Model
Published on: September 11, 2020
Suitability of miRNA assessment in postmortem interval estimation
E Montanari1, R Giorgetti, F P Busardò
1Section of Legal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Ospedali Riuniti Ancona, Ancona, Italy. r.giorgetti@univpm.it.
Objective:
The aim of this review was to explore recent pieces of evidence focused on the use of miRNAs for PMI estimation both in humans and animal experiments, with particular interest on the best miRNAs to use as reference/target markers in different tissues or biological fluids. MiRNAs are innovative biomarkers used in clinical and research field; they appear very attractive, being introduced in forensic research scenarios even for PMI estimation.
Materials And Methods:
Data from PubMed and Scopus were analyzed from January 2013 to August 2020. Based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, high-quality articles have been selected to become the subject of this review.
Results:
A total of 737 papers were found but, after titles/abstracts screening for inclusion criteria and a full-text careful selection, 33 papers were deeply studied. After the exclusion of 19 papers, 15 articles remained. Eight papers dealt with animals (mice/rats), two both with animals and humans (for method validation previously built), while 5 exclusively with humans. Myocardium (6/15) and brain (6/15) were the most studied tissues, respectively in mice/rats and humans. PMI considered was up to 7.5 days in mouse studies and less than 3 days in human models.
Conclusions:
Because of their significant stability in both early and long PMI, miRNAs are the cleverest reference markers to be used. Temperature and environmental conditions influence mostly mRNA, while miRNAs are less susceptible to them. The best miRNA to choose depends on its tissue specificity, i.e., miR-9 and miR-125 in brain or miR-1 and miR-133 in skeletal muscle/heart.
Insights
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) show stability for estimating postmortem intervals (PMI) in forensic science. Specific miRNAs in tissues like brain and heart are promising biomarkers, less affected by environmental factors than mRNA.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Biomarker Discovery
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as innovative biomarkers in clinical and research settings.
- Their application is expanding into forensic science, particularly for postmortem interval (PMI) estimation.
- miRNAs offer potential advantages over traditional methods due to their stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent evidence on using miRNAs for PMI estimation in human and animal studies.
- To identify optimal miRNAs as reference or target markers across different tissues and biological fluids.
- To assess the reliability of miRNAs as forensic biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus from January 2013 to August 2020.
- Articles were screened based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, with a focus on high-quality studies.
- 33 papers were initially selected for detailed review, resulting in 15 articles for final analysis.
Main Results:
- The review analyzed 15 studies, including 8 on animals, 2 on both, and 5 exclusively on humans.
- Myocardium and brain were the most frequently studied tissues for PMI estimation.
- PMI estimations ranged up to 7.5 days in animal models and less than 3 days in human models.
Conclusions:
- miRNAs exhibit significant stability, making them reliable markers for both early and extended PMI.
- Unlike messenger RNAs (mRNAs), miRNAs are less susceptible to environmental influences like temperature.
- Optimal miRNA selection for PMI estimation depends on tissue specificity, with examples like miR-9 and miR-125 for brain tissue.
