New Molecular and Innovations in Forensic Pathology

In forensic pathology, the novel molecular biomarkers as well as innovative devices and techniques are always explored for the correct diagnosis of the cause of death, postmortem intervals, wound ages, and so on. In wound age determination, application techniques, and target cells and molecules are main elements. Bone marrow-derived cells such as fibrocytes and endothelial progenitor cells can contribute to skin wound healing, thus implying that those cells would be candidate cells for wound age determination. Analyses of aquaporins that are water channels in mammals would be helpful for the differential diagnosis of saltwater and freshwater drowning. Circadian rhythm is well controlled by the time-dependent expression of “clock genes”, indicating that analyses of the biological clock would be powerful methods for the estimation of the time of death. Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) has rapidly and widely spread, and assists forensic autopsy. Actually, it is unnecessary to mention that the advancement of molecular and imaging innovations is able to contribute to the progress of forensic pathology.