DNA-based prediction of human externally visible characteristics in forensics: Motivations, scientific challenges, and ethical considerations
DNA-based prediction of human externally visible characteristics in forensics: Motivations, scientific challenges, and ethical considerations
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DOI：
10.1016/j.fsigen.2009.01.012
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发表时间：
2009-06-01
影响因子：
3.1
通讯作者：
Schneider, Peter M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kayser, Manfred;Schneider, Peter M.
总会有刑事案件，其中证据DNA样本将不匹配嫌疑人的DNA档案，或任何在刑事DNA数据库。在缺乏基于DNA的大规模情报筛查的情况下，包括家庭搜索（两者都可能受到立法的限制），只有一种选择可能避免或追溯解决“悬案”：根据犯罪现场留下的样本，基于DNA预测未知人员的人类外部可见特征。预测性DNA标记有望在不久的将来用于某些群体特异性外观性状;尽管我们不太可能很快就能理解个体特异性外观的生物学复杂性，在没有嫌疑的情况下，可靠的DNA-根据犯罪现场样本对更广泛的外部可见特征进行预测，预计将减少潜在的嫌疑人，使警方调查集中在特定人群。在这里，我们的目标是描述基于DNA的预测人类外部可见特征的法医动机，以及寻找预测性DNA标记的科学挑战，并将讨论有希望的例子（例如性别，眼睛颜色和头发颜色），以及不太有希望的期望（例如成人身高），在可预见的未来。尽管复杂的道德和法律的影响所产生的DNA为基础的预测外部可见的特征，我们认为，他们的使用不会导致侵犯隐私。我们建议，基于可能性的结果，而不是DNA数据本身，应提供给警方用于调查目的，避免数据保护问题。此外，我们注意到，与传统的目击者证词相比，基于DNA的犯罪案件中外部可见特征的预测可能会减少而不是增加对少数群体的社会压力。需要为应用这些有前途的定性技术建立坚实的法律的基础。为了引起立法机构的注意，我们邀请法医界参加关于这些问题的公开讨论。(C)2009爱思唯尔爱尔兰有限公司保留所有权利。
There will always be criminal cases, where the evidence DNA sample will not match either a suspect's DNA profile, or any in a criminal DNA database. In the absence of DNA-based mass intelligence screenings, including familial searching (both of which may be restricted by legislation), there is only one option to potentially avoid or retrospectively solve "cold cases": the DNA-based prediction of human externally visible characteristics of an unknown person based on the crime scene sample left behind. Predictive DNA markers are expected to be available for some group-specific appearance traits in the near future; although it is unlikely that we will soon be able to understand the biological complexity of individual-specific appearance, In suspect-less cases reliable DNA-based prediction of broader externally visible characteristics from crime scene samples are expected to reduce the potential pool of suspects by allowing police investigations to concentrate on specific groups of people. Here, we aim to describe the forensic motivations for DNA-based prediction of human externally visible traits as well as the scientific challenges of finding predictive DNA markers, and will discuss examples with promising (e.g. sex, eye color and hair color), as well as less promising expectations (e.g. adult body height), in the foreseen future. Despite the complex ethical and legal implications arising from DNA-based prediction of externally visible characteristics, we argue that their use does not lead to a violation of privacy. We suggest that likelihood-based results, rather than DNA data itself, should be provided to the police for investigative purposes avoiding data protection issues. Furthermore, we note that the risk of exacerbating social pressure on minority groups due to DNA-based prediction of externally visible traits in crime cases may be reduced rather than increased compared to a conventional eyewitness testimony. A firm legal basis will need to be established for the application of these promising qualitative techniques. To gain the attention of legislative bodies, we invite the forensic community to participate in a public discourse of these issues. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.