A step forward (well maybe)... (Score 2, Interesting)

This is not the innovation it seems to be. For most causes of death there are precise enzymatic and cytological evidence (apart from the obvious macroscopic evidence). Tissues include some very specific cell lines which contain a series of isoenzymes specific for that cell line. For instance a cardiac infract increases the levels of creatine-kinase MB isoenzyme, whereas an ictus would not to the same extent. Furthermore, isoenzymes have different half-lives giving furhter insight to the timing of the events that caused illness or death (in some cases detectable even after a year). This is all info we have today and use in both clincal and forensic practise. The experiment described in article (IMO quite misleading) goes a step further by determining the changes in transcription/translation (the article does not specificy) of DNA following specific lesions. In the not so far away future, I would expect an integration of the actual, biochemical and cytological techinques with the genetic investigation proposed in the article.