Bone Marrow-Derived Cells and Wound Age Estimation

Appropriate technology as well as specific target cells and molecules are key factors for determination of wound vitality or wound age in forensic practice. Wound examination is one of the most important tasks for forensic pathologists and is indispensable to distinguish antemortem wounds from postmortem damage. For vital wounds, estimating the age of the wound is also essential in determining how the wound is associated with the cause of death. We investigated bone marrow-derived cells as promising markers and their potential usefulness in forensic applications. Although examination of a single marker cannot provide high reliability and objectivity in estimating wound age, evaluating the appearance combination of bone marrow-derived cells and the other markers may allow for a more objective and accurate estimation of wound age.