Use of Lateral Flow Assays in Forensics

Abstract

Already for some decades lateral flow assays (LFAs) are ‘common use’ devices in our daily life. Also, for forensic use LFAs are developed, such as for the analysis of illicit drugs and DNA, but also for the detection of explosives and body fluid identification. Despite their advantages, including ease-of-use, LFAs are not yet frequently applied at a crime scene. This review describes (academic) developments of LFAs for forensic applications, focusing on biological and chemical applications, whereby the main advantages and disadvantages of LFAs for the different forensic applications are summarized. Additionally, a critical review is provided, discussing why LFAs are not frequently applied within the forensic field and highlighting the steps that are needed to bring LFAs to the forensic market.

Immunochromatographic Detection of Human Blood: A Forensic Review

“…Similarly, the identification of human plasmatic proteins allowed the positive identification of bloodstains [57]. In the last decades, thanks to extraordinary technological development, several methods based on different chemical-physical principles [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15], such as HPLC [9], CE [10], and MS, have been proposed for forensic purposes. Unfortunately, the instrumentation required and the laboratory setup make it impossible to perform the analyses required, at least in the routine.…”

“…In detail, IC assays specific to the D-dimer (a terminal degradation product of fibrinolysis) have been commercialized. The sensitivity of these tests, as recently reviewed by Bruijns et al [8], is high, and the test comes out positive with as little as three nanoliters of menstrual blood. The D-dimers, however, are not human-specific, and positivity was proved also in rabbits [52].…”

“…As we have seen, before proceeding with DNA typing, it is mandatory to verify if the sample is human blood or not by performing a confirmatory test since the DNA analysis does not provide any information on the type of body fluid from which the DNA profile originated [3]. For this purpose, several methods have been developed over the last decades based on different chemical-physical principles: immunological [7] and immunochromatographic assays [8], high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) [9], capillary electrophoresis (CE) [10], mass spectrometry (MS) [11], Raman spectrometry [12], ATR FT-IR (attenuated total reflection Fourier transform-infrared) [13], NIR (near infrared) [14], RNA analysis [3,15], and DNA methylation [3]. The choice of the most appropriate confirmation method depends on various factors, first and foremost, simplicity along with the robustness of the method but also the length and cost of analysis and the possibility of performing the analysis directly on the crime scene.…”

“…Since IC assays are easy to use, they are widely employed, such as self-tests for monitoring health status (pregnancy or SARS-CoV-2 infection, for example). In Forensics, IC is used in several fields, such as body fluid (blood, semen, saliva, illicit drugs (methamphetamine and amphetamine)) and biotoxins (B. antracis, botulinum neurotoxin type B, recin) identification [8]. This review shows the advantages (and the limits) of the IC assays, which are routinely employed as confirmatory tests for human blood (see Table 1).…”

Unveiling Morphine: A Rapid and Selective Fluorescence Sensor for Forensic and Medical Analysis

“…The illegal usage of controlled substances and illicit drugs presents a significant threat to human well-being, family cohesion, and societal equilibrium [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Often, there are indications of the use or abuse of such drugs found at the crime scene [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. This has made the rapid and accurate detection of such drugs a compelling subject of research.…”