Development of the adult human height prediction model by Forensic DNA Phenotyping

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19490
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58040:Forensics medicine-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba (2023); Jikei University School of Medicine (2019-2022)
• Principal Investigator: Nishi Takeki 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 研究員 (70759472)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 身長予測 / Forensic DNA Phenotyping / FDP / DNA型個人識別 / SNP / DNA多型 / フェノタイピング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, 51 height-related SNPs were used to analyse the association between height and DNA in 152 Japanese subjects (78 males and 74 females). The effect allele of each SNP was converted into a prediction score and compared with the actual height. Analysis of height tendency by classifying the three groups (tall, medium and short) based on mean height ± SD showed significant differences (p<0.0001 for males and p<0.01 for females) between the tall and medium height tendency groups and the short height tendency group for both males and females. This indicates that it is possible to classify height tendency groups for both males and females.

Free Research Field

法医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究結果は犯罪捜査における容疑者推定、白骨のDNAから身体的特徴の予測など、幅広い範囲で応用可能であり、法遺伝学および人類遺伝学において将来的に重要な分野になると考えられる。
また、国内における法医学領域のFDP研究発展を促し、DNA型個人識別の適応範囲を拡大させる研究である。体型を含む外的な身体的特徴の予測は将来的に可能となると考えられ、本研究成果はその過程の一端を担うものであると考える。