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A digital twin framework for forensic reconstruction of alcohol intake via fast and slow metabolite kinetics.

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Τίτλος: A digital twin framework for forensic reconstruction of alcohol intake via fast and slow metabolite kinetics.
Συγγραφείς: Podéus H; Department of Biomedical Engineering (IMT), Linköping University, Linköping, 58185, Sweden., Simonsson C; Department of Biomedical Engineering (IMT), Linköping University, Linköping, 58185, Sweden., Jakobsson G; Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden.; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Drug Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden., Kronstrand R; Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden.; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Drug Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden., Nyman E; Department of Biomedical Engineering (IMT), Linköping University, Linköping, 58185, Sweden., Lövfors W; Department of Biomedical Engineering (IMT), Linköping University, Linköping, 58185, Sweden., Cedersund G; Department of Biomedical Engineering (IMT), Linköping University, Linköping, 58185, Sweden. gunnar.cedersund@liu.se.; Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. gunnar.cedersund@liu.se.; School of Medical Sciences and Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Centre (iRiSC), Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden. gunnar.cedersund@liu.se.
Πηγή: Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2026 Mar 18; Vol. 16 (1). Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Mar 18.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Nature Publishing Group Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101563288 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2045-2322 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20452322 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sci Rep Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: London : Nature Publishing Group, copyright 2011-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Alcohol Drinking*/metabolism , Alcohol Drinking*/urine , Alcohol Drinking*/blood , Ethanol*/urine, Biomarkers/urine ; Biomarkers/analysis ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Glucuronates ; Breath Tests ; Blood Alcohol Content ; Sulfuric Acid Esters
Περίληψη: Accurately determining the timing and/or amount of consumed alcohol is critical in healthcare and forensic contexts, yet self-reported data are often unreliable due to stigma and legal implications. Objective biomarkers are therefore essential. Commonly used markers such as blood- and breath alcohol concentrations (BAC, BrAC) decline rapidly, limiting their utility for reconstructing drinking scenarios. Such reconstructions are essential for legal assessments, including refuting the “hipflask” defence. Markers with slower kinetics, such as ethyl glucuronide (EtG), ethyl sulphate (EtS), and urine alcohol concentration (UAC) provide complementary temporal information; however, current approaches fail to fully exploit available data. Here, we introduce a unified physiological digital twin that mechanistically integrates BAC, BrAC, EtG, EtS, and UAC within a single framework. This model captures the joint dynamics of rapid- and slower markers, enabling personalized simulations of alcohol intake and metabolism. We show that this integrated approach substantially improves reconstruction of past drinking events and supports complex forensic assessments requiring high temporal precision. To ease practical application, we provide an interactive web tool that allows users to evaluate hypothetical drinking scenarios and visualise individualized biomarker trajectories. Our work establishes a foundation for precision modelling of alcohol kinetics, bridging gaps between clinical, forensic, and computational domains.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
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Contributed Indexing: Keywords: BAC; DUIA; EtG; UAC; judicial support; mathematical modelling
Substance Nomenclature: 0 (Biomarkers)
3K9958V90M (Ethanol)
0 (Glucuronates)
17685-04-0 (ethyl glucuronide)
K0FO4VFA7I (diethyl sulfate)
0 (Blood Alcohol Content)
0 (Sulfuric Acid Esters)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260319 Date Completed: 20260627 Latest Revision: 20260627
Update Code: 20260627
PubMed Central ID: PMC13002990
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-44093-4
PMID: 41851222
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-44093-4