The PCC - Funding Anti-Doping Science

Check out our podcast episode featuring our newest Board of Governors member, Holly Shick. She represents the USOPC, where she is the Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer. We talk about her career, her role in the Milan-Cortina Games, & preparations for LA28. bit.ly/4mfbn5T

Senior author Dr. Peter Van Eenoo has previously received PCC funding to support his research. #cleansport #antidoping #drugtesting #steroids #chemistry #analyticalchemistry #science #research @ugent @ResearchUGent

To help address the issue of limited blood sample volumes for multiple anti-doping tests, researchers developed and validated an easy and efficient microextraction protocol that can be used to extract 25 steroid esters from only 20 µL of serum or plasma. link.springer.com/article/10.100…

Don’t miss our latest podcast episode with Dr. Neil Robinson, Head of the Science & Medical Department at the @IntTestAgency. He shares the process of sample storage, what prompts samples to be reanalyzed, and the impacts of these efforts on clean sport. bit.ly/4lQ470e

This recent review examines how inhaled medications, like bronchodilators, can impact the cardiovascular and muscular systems, discusses relevant doping cases, describes current detection methods, and presents ongoing challenges and knowledge gaps. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12…

As we close out Women’s History Month, we’d like to recognize the women in leadership roles at the PCC. We wouldn't be a premier funder of world-class anti-doping research without their continued guidance & expertise. Thank you for leading by example & for supporting our mission!

This study found certain sulfate metabolites increased the window of detection for methyltestosterone use. More work is needed to enhance methods for unambiguous identification before the metabolites can be routinely included in initial testing procedures. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41834284/

She found that several indirect biomarkers are linked to GH administration, which calls for further validation & the development of a general analytical protocol that could be implemented in anti-doping labs. Read more about Dr. Buisson’s findings here: bit.ly/4v1f1oa

Up next in our Women’s History Month research spotlight is Dr. Corinne Buisson. Dr. Buisson conducted a PCC-funded pilot study focused on discovering new biomarkers related to growth hormone (GH) to create an innovative screening strategy to indirectly detect GH micro-doses.

Authors showed capillary blood analysis can help interpret #antidoping results for 2 types of drugs w/ complex pharmacokinetics. Complementary blood analysis can help determine in-competition vs out-of-competition use & provide more consistent detection. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12…

Her research provided greater understanding of the dissociation pathways of Beta2 agonists and other drugs of that class. Dr. Patrick’s findings may aid in the development of MS/MS methods and efforts toward predicting MS/MS patterns. Read more here: bit.ly/4t194We

Our next feature for Women’s History Month is Dr. Amanda Patrick. Dr. Patrick received funding for her project which developed quick and sensitive methods to differentiate between therapeutic use and performance-enhancing use of Beta2 agonists.

We spoke with Dr. Neil Robinson, Head of the Science & Medical Department at the @IntTestAgency. He discussed anti-doping innovations, such as the logistics of long-term sample storage and reanalysis and the potential benefits as the field advances. bit.ly/4lQ470e

Co-authors Drs. Lena Ekström, Olivier Salamin, and Raul Nicoli have previously received PCC funding for their research. #biomarkers #steroids #cleansport #antidoping #research #science

Interpreting the steroid modules of the ABP can be complex in female athletes due to hormonal fluctuations. This study examined urinary & circulatory steroids in female athletes and controls to determine how training & sweating impact steroid biomarkers. frontiersin.org/journals/physi…

Co-authors Dr. Mario Thevis and Dr. Thomas Piper have previously received PCC funding to support their research. #antidoping #cleansport #research #science #AI #machinelearning

It's hard to detect when athletes swap a urine sample taken post-doping w/ their own pre-doping urine. Authors developed a similarity detection framework using machine learning to identify reused/identical urine samples in the Athlete Biological Passport. nature.com/articles/s4159…

These researchers represent nations across the globe and have published studies on topics such as the athlete biological passport, advances in sample preparation, masking agents, and more. Visit our website to learn more about these researchers their work bit.ly/4dv1fDB

For our next Women’s History Month feature, we want to spotlight our outstanding female fellows. The PCC’s Fellowship Program supports qualified scientists who demonstrate a strong interest in and potential for contribution to anti-doping science.

Dr. Dehnes' project contributes to the integrity of clean sport by proposing the inclusion of these biomarkers for the detection of testosterone abuse.

Our next Women’s History Month feature is Dr. Yvette Dehnes, Dir. of the Norwegian Doping Control Laboratory at Oslo University Hospital. She received PCC funding for a project which found that testosterone administration lowers plasma hepcidin & increases reticulocyte ALAS2 mRNA