CRISPR-Cas technology in forensic investigations: Principles, applications, and ethical considerations

• Published in: Forensic science international : genetics Vol. 74; p. 103163
• Main Authors: Sobral, Ana Filipa, Dinis-Oliveira, Ricardo Jorge, Barbosa, Daniel José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2025
• Subjects: Crime scene investigations; CRISPR-Cas Systems; CRISPR-Cas technology; DNA Fingerprinting - ethics; DNA profiling; Environmental forensics; Ethical considerations; Forensic food analysis; Forensic Genetics - ethics; Forensic Genetics - legislation & jurisprudence; Forensic Genetics - methods; Forensic sciences; Gene Editing - ethics; Gene Editing - legislation & jurisprudence; Humans; Pathology; ALAS2; RPA; RNA; TracrRNA; LFA; Environmental forensics; Crime scene investigations; CASCADE; AFB1; SHERLOCK; Ethical considerations; ChIP; DASH; gRNA; STR; SDA; MIPSTR; CFU; CRISPR-Cas technology; SLP; Cas9n; HDR; DMD; qPCR; Forensic food analysis; crRNA; RFLP; ssDNA; VNTR; CRISPR; dCas9; CRISDA; HOLMES; HGP; PER2; POMC; EVC; SERS; CUT-LAMP; DNA; Forensic sciences; AHRR; NGS; NHEJ; HLA; PAM; DNA profiling; PCR; Colony Forming Unit; quantitative PCR; Homology-Directed Repair; One-hour Low-cost, Multipurpose, Highly Efficient System; CRISPR RNA; Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; Strand Displacement Amplification; Aryl-Hydrocarbon Receptor Repressor; CRISPR-Cas9-triggered nicking endonuclease-mediated Strand Displacement Amplification; Deoxyribonucleic Acid; Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism; Dead-Cas9; Period Circadian Regulator 2; Human Genome Project; Next Generation Sequencing; Delta-Aminolevulinate Synthase 2; Specific High-Sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter UnLOCKing; guide RNA; External Visible Characteristics; Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy; aflatoxin B1; Human Leukocyte Antigen; Protospacer Adjacent Motif; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ribonucleic Acid; Contamination-Free Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification; Molecular Inversion Probe Short Tandem Repeat; Single-Locus Probe; Recombinase Polymerase Amplification; Cas9 nickase; Depletion of Abundant Sequences by Hybridization; Short Tandem Rrepeats; Lateral Flow Assay; Non-Homologous End Joining; Trans-activating crRNA; CRISPR-Cas-based Colorimetric Nucleic Acid Detection; Single Stranded DNA; Variable Number Tandem Repeats; Pro-Opiomelanocortin
• ISSN: 1872-4973; 1878-0326; 1878-0326
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103163

CRISPR-Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins) systems are adaptive immune systems originally present in bacteria, where they are essential to protect against external genetic elements, including viruses and plasmids. Taking advantage of this system, CRISPR-Cas-based technologies have emerged as incredible tools for precise genome editing, thus significantly advancing several research fields. Forensic sciences represent a multidisciplinary field that explores scientific methods to investigate and resolve legal issues, particularly criminal investigations and subject identification. Consequently, it plays a critical role in the justice system, providing scientific evidence to support judicial investigations. Although less explored, CRISPR-Cas-based methodologies demonstrate strong potential in the field of forensic sciences due to their high accuracy and sensitivity, including DNA profiling and identification, interpretation of crime scene investigations, detection of food contamination or fraud, and other aspects related to environmental forensics. However, using CRISPR-Cas-based methodologies in human samples raises several ethical issues and concerns regarding the potential misuse of individual genetic information. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of potential applications of CRISPR-Cas-based methodologies in several areas of forensic sciences and discuss the legal implications that challenge their routine implementation in this research field. [Display omitted] •Unexplored applications of CRISPR-Cas-based technology in forensic sciences are thoroughly discussed.•The advantages and challenges of implementing cutting-edge CRISPR-Cas systems in forensic sciences are detailed.•Methodological insights are provided on how CRISPR-Cas systems may outperform current forensic techniques.•The potential of CRISPR-Cas to accelerate crime investigations, resolve cold cases, and detect food fraud is explored.•Ethical and legal concerns surrounding the use of genetic data in forensic analysis are addressed.