Antidoping Analysis: A Special Focus

Abstract

in antidoping • gene doping • metabolomics in antidoping • peptide quantification • VAMS in antidopingThis issue of Bioanalysis has the theme of antidoping analysis and was originally planned to be published to coincide with the run-up to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. It was intended to give the interested reader an indication of the latest approaches used by the scientists working in the antidoping field that would likely be used during the Games in the Tokyo World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited antidoping laboratory. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all walks of life internationally and sport is no exception; hence the games have been postponed for a year until 2021 by the International Olympic Committee, for the first time ever. The ability, under WADA and International Olympic Committee regulations, to store samples for up to 10 years means that even if some of the approaches described in this issue are not yet ready for use to take action against a cheating athlete, retrospective analysis could enable this to occur at some time in the years ahead.I have found the articles in this issue always interesting to read and informative, being written by and with the opinions of experts in the field of antidoping science. The conclusions or opinions documented should provide fertile ground for further research. Here is a summary of what you will find.Aikin and colleagues from WADA provide a well-informed perspective about the current and future use of biomarkers in antidoping testing with a special focus on athlete biological passports pioneered by their organization. They outline what is required and make it clear that discovering new biomarkers and implementing their use is no easy task, but worth the effort in making antidoping testing more effective [1].Botré and colleagues provide a commentary on the need for a metabolomics approach to deal with some of the more complex analytical challenges in antidoping, and the potential of the approach for use in the field. However, they point out numerous challenges and conclude that "stand-alone screening + confirmation techniques based on metabolomics approaches still seem premature in antidoping," but indicate that explorative metabolomics are of value even now to help identify putative biomarkers [2].An update on the state of play of peptide quantification in antidoping and how it often links with the requirements of clinical science is provided in an editorial by Moncrieffe. The need for traceable reference standards is stressed and the importance of LC-MS to provide the 'gold-standard' approach contrasting with some of the problems encountered with the use of immuno-procedures. She stresses the benefits of and need for good interlaboratory studies to show the reliability and robustness of the methods [3].Fedoruk of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) presents in his editorial how USADA has modified its approach to antidoping testing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic [4]. He explains how athletes attempt to beat the testers ...

A review of the possibilities of gene doping in sports focused on the advantages and disadvantages

“…[5] W innym artykule jednak Pizzatti i współpracownicy związani z olimpijskim laboratorium antydopingowym w Rio de Janeiro stwierdzają, że wraz z postępem technik w dziedzinie biologii molekularnej, możliwości wykrywania dopingu genowego odpowiednio wzrastają. [10] Przed 2020 rokiem trwały pracy na temat nowej technologii, która miała na celu wykrywanie gene dopingu na Olimpiadzie w Tokio. [13] Badacze podnoszą głos w sprawie gene dopingu.…”