A Victim of the Great East Japan Earthquake Identified with the Preserved Medical Samples of Her Deceased Mother

Development of the first DNA database and identification portal for identification of Unidentified bodies in India - UMID

Identifying missing persons and unidentified dead bodies is a well-documented global problem in recent years. To curb this issue, countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia already have well-established DNA databases. Considering the alarming number of unidentified/unclaimed dead bodies reported in India every year, it is evident that the current practices are not sufficient to establish their identities. Forensic medicine professionals are ethically, morally, and dutybound to collect information about missing and unidentified persons and work with the government agencies to determine their identity. Concerning the social and public interest, we have developed the first-ever identification portal and DNA database of unidentified dead bodies autopsied at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India. After the investigation officer's informed consent, biological samples from unidentified dead bodies and a detailed phenotypic description, anthropological data and other visual characteristics of the deceased are recorded at the time of autopsy. This information is uploaded on our database which is available for public access, and the genotypic information generated through STR analysis is only available for internal usage.Claimants (biological relatives) may browse through the URL (https://umid-aiims.icmr.org.in/), and if they wish to claim an unidentified dead body, they may approach as per the given guidelines. The DNA profiles generated include a total of 16 STRs (15 autosomal tetranucleotide microsatellite STRs and 1 Sex Chromosome Specific STR). The claimant's STR profile is run through the questioned database to look for a potential match. If positive, the investigating officer of that particular case is informed for further necessary action. Until December 2020, our database consisted the information of 255 individuals and two unidentified cadavers were identified. This project's success can also lead to a pioneering National DNA database of unidentified and missing persons in India.

Evaluation of the Utility of Mitochondrial DNA Testing in Personal Identification Work in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011

Although the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011, identification of victims is still ongoing. Typically, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is performed when it is difficult to identify an individual using nuclear DNA. In Japan, samples from criminal investigations are subjected to nuclear DNA testing at the Scientific Research Institute belonging to each prefectural police headquarters, while all mtDNA tests were originally conducted at the National Research Institute of Police Science. However, the appraisal work using mtDNA became more time-consuming as the number of target samples increased. Because our department is capable of performing mtDNA testing, the Miyagi Prefectural Police requested that our department perform mtDNA testing. Specifically, we focused on 16 individuals as putative candidates for 11 unidentified human remains; efforts to identify these remains were performed using samples from 20 relatives. These efforts positively identified six victims. This included confirmation that one corpse had originally been identified incorrectly. Although disasters of a similar scale can strike Japan again, there are limited facilities that can consistently perform mtDNA testing. Expensive sequencing machines and properly trained operators are essential for mtDNA testing, but they cannot be established at the forensic departments of all medical schools. There is thus an urgent need to establish core facilities at appropriate sites, such as Tohoku University in the Tohoku Region, to build a mtDNA testing system suitable for the aftermath of any disaster.