%0 Journal Article
%T Epigenetic Markers in Criminal Investigation: A Narrative Synthesis of Recent Evidence
%A Eduarda Felipe Tosta
%A ¨ªcaro Ricardo Rodrigues de Oliveira
%A Maycon Douglas de Paula Martins
%A Lauro Ant&#244
%A nio Ribeiro Roman Loza
%A Ana J¨²lia Carvalho Rezende
%A Sabrina Pessoa de Moraes
%A V¨ªtor Sousa Silva
%A F¨¢bio Morato de Oliveira
%J Open Access Library Journal
%V 13
%N 1
%P 1-15
%@ 2333-9721
%D 2026
%I Open Access Library
%R 10.4236/oalib.1114662
%X Forensic epigenetics has become a rapidly expanding frontier in molecular forensics, offering analytical capabilities that surpass those of traditional genetic markers. Advances in high-resolution methylome profiling, small-RNA analysis, and multi-omics approaches now support increasingly precise inferences about biological age, tissue origin, lifestyle exposures, and, in some cases, individual differentiation. Despite this progress, the field remains transitional, and its adoption in routine forensic practice requires methodological standardization, analytical validation, and legal evaluation. This narrative review synthesizes findings from studies indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, of which 61 met the eligibility criteria after duplicate removal and full-text assessment. These studies were categorized according to epigenetic mechanism, forensic application, methodological design, technological innovation, and legal or operational considerations. DNA methylation emerged as the most extensively explored mechanism, particularly for age estimation, body-fluid identification, and differentiation of monozygotic twins. MicroRNAs constituted the second most frequently examined biomarker class, demonstrating high stability in degraded samples and strong tissue specificity, with applications in postmortem interval estimation and cause-of-death assessment. Histone modifications were investigated less often due to technical challenges related to protein instability and environmental degradation. Across mechanisms, limited standardization in sampling, extraction, sequencing, and computational modeling remains a major barrier to reproducibility. Nevertheless, recent advances¡ªincluding third-generation sequencing, refined methylation assays, and machine-learning frameworks integrating complex epigenomic and tran-scriptomic signals¡ªsuggest substantial future potential. Persistent legal challenges, particularly related to validation, error-rate determination, and privacy concerns, highlight the need for caution. Overall, forensic epigenetics is progressing toward broader applicability, provided ethical, legal, and methodological frameworks evolve in parallel.
%K Epigenomics
%K DNA Methylation
%K microRNAs
%K Forensic Genetics
%K Biomarkers
%U http://www.oalib.com/paper/6881573