2011 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Establishment of novel forensic diagnostic methods based on biological clock

Research Project

Project/Area Number	22659137
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Legal medicine
Research Institution	Wakayama Medical University
Principal Investigator	KIMURA Akihiko 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (60136611)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	KONDO Toshikazu 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (70251923) ISHIDA Yuko 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (10364077)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	NOSAKA Mizuho 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (00244731)
Project Period (FY)	2010 – 2011
Keywords	体内時計 / 法医診断 / 時計遺伝子 / Real-time PCR
Research Abstract	Biological clock exists in most tissues and is involved in their homeostasis. Malfunction of biological clock can cause various diseases. In this study, we examined the possibility that forensic diagnosis can be performed by analysis of biological clock in the tissues. We found that significant reduction of clock gene expression in the hypertrophic heart, kidney damaged with a toxic compound and injured skin tissue, suggesting that biological clock in the damaged tissues might be a novel diagnostic marker in forensic medicine.

(4 results)