Evaluation of a novel gene doping detection approach via high multiplex MALDI-TOF MassArray analysis

Code: 22E05MT

Gene doping has been classified as a prohibited method in the WADA prohibited list for many years. As gene therapeutic approaches improve and concerns regarding their safe clinical application decline, concerns about their illicit use in elite sports are rising sharply. The outlined project aims at the evaluation of a novel gene doping detection approach emplying high multiplex MALD-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). As preliminary work, a prototype panel able of the multiplex detection of transgenic expression of seven relevant gene doping targets (EPO, FST, GH-1, IGF-1 MSTN(-Propeptide), VEGF-A, VEGF-D) has been designed and pre-tested for its general specificity and applicability. Central aim of the proposed project is the in-depth validation of the prototype panel with regard to its specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Futhermore, suitable reference material will be designed and tested taking advantage of the single-base extension and detection technique of the proposed chemistry and detection method. In a final step, the optimized and validated panel and reference material will be tested for its applicability to routine testine procedures with a first set of 1000 (doping control) specimens consented for research purposes. If successful, the described high multiplex gene doping detection panel and MALDI-TOF MS detection approach would allow a time- and cost-effective detection of multiple gene doping relevant targets at once and could thus expand the range of available tests for gene doping detection.