Abstract

ALVAREZ-CUBERO, M.J. et al. New applications in genetic identification. Cuad. med. forense [online]. 2010, vol.16, n.1-2, pp.5-18. ISSN 1988-611X.

More now than ever, advances in genetic identification allow the application of these new techniques to different fields. Scientific and technological progress in the tools used in forensic genetics has permitted new implementations of this field to others. In this paper, some of the newest alternatives will be tackled. Firstly, the creation of a civil genetic database has allowed the development of programs for human identification. FENIX, program, to identify corpses and missing human remains and DNA-PROKIDS that fights against human trafficking and hopes to reunite victims with their families. In the last decade, it is becoming more common to encounter DNA analysis in history projects, paleontology and so on. It is in such cases that we find ancient samples. So, another application is the work with aDNA of which we will show some examples. Thanks to these new techniques some historical remains of important personages have been identified, Zar Nicolás II of Rusia, Cristobal Colombus and his relatives, Blanca of Navarra, the Prince of Viana and the general Miranda; as well as the recovery of some species in danger of extinction and the characterization of some historical elements. Lastly, it has also a great relevance the applications of these techniques to biomedicine, given than the collaboration between forensic groups and other medical specialities is more and more frequent theses days. Two examples of this situation will be the characterization of tumor samples and the association of some diseases with genetic haplotypes.

Keywords : aDNA; Cancer; Genetic database.

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