Viruses, too, are our fingerprint

December 1

Source: University of Helsinki

Some researchers from the University of Helsinki and the University of Edinburgh have been the first to find the genetic material of a human virus from old human bones. The journal Scientific Reports published the study that analysed the skeletal remains of Second World War casualties from the battlefields of Karelia. Even if some decades have past, the DNA of the viruses remain in the tissues and can be analysed, even in bones."Human tissue is like a life-long archive that stores the fingerprint of the viruses that an individual has encountered during his or her lifetime," described Klaus Hedman, professor of clinical virology.

The study involved bone samples from 106 deceased, and the viral DNA was discovered in nearly half of them, but the bones of two individuals have shown something more. They contained DNA from a type of parvovirus that has never circulated in the Nordic countries. Together with the genetic profile of the individuals scientists suggest they were likely soldiers of the Red Army.

“By mapping and analysing the viral genes in old human samples, we can deepen our understanding of the way viruses develop and spread. The results can be compared to those with contemporary viruses and their virulence, improving our ability to prevent and eradicate infectious diseases," the scientists explain.

Studying both viral and human genomes together could be a new tool for forensic identification or ancestry investigation ,according to Antti Sajantila, Professor of genetic forensic medicine.

Without doubts, it is a unique DNA fingerprint!