Molecular technique for gender identification: A boon in forensic odontology

Abstract

Identification of an individual is essential both for legal and humanitarian purposes. Gender identification is an essential criterion required to establish the identity of an individual. The use of molecular techniques in forensic odontology is an emerging field that widens the avenue even in challenging cases of identification. Gender determination using molecular techniques in forensic odontology shows prodigious outcomes and hence befits a frontier in forensic odontology. Identification of an individual in mass disaster and crime investigation cases in the current scenario is an arduous but highly desirable task. Thorough knowledge of forensic genetics is essential and is the need of the hour. Recent advancements in molecular techniques for DNA typing useful in gender determination are both economical and time-saving. These advancements will bring justice to people and large benefits to the society. An exhaustive internet-based literature search was carried out in PubMed and Google Scholar databases using terms ‘gender identification’ OR ‘individual identification’ AND ‘DNA fingerprinting’. The search yielded 1,848 articles. Inclusion criteria included relevance to the context determined by reading the abstract and availability of the full text. A total of 169 articles were selected. After reading the full texts, only articles pertaining to the oral cavity along with relevant articles from the references of the selected articles were considered. A total of 90 articles were considered in the final review. The current article aims to comprehensively review the gender determination molecular techniques useful in forensic odontology. It emphasizes the various sources, techniques, profiling systems, and genes employed for gender identification from the oral cavity.