Epigenetic Age Estimation in Saliva and Buccal Cells
August 2022
in “
Forensic Science International Genetics
”
TLDR The model accurately predicts age from saliva and buccal cells for forensic use.
The study developed a model to predict age using DNA methylation markers from saliva and buccal cells, achieving a mean absolute error (MAE) of ±3.66 years. The model used seven CpG sites and was validated with 184 samples. Logistic regression achieved an 88.59% correct classification rate for tissue prediction. The study concluded that the combined model for both tissues is reliable for forensic applications, with a minimum of 10 ng of DNA required for accurate results. The final age predictor model is available online for forensic use.