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Abstract
Mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches have been used to develop methodologies capable of detecting the abuse of protein therapeutics such as recombinant human erythropoietin and recombinant human growth hormone. Existing detection methods use antibody-based approaches that, although effective, suffer from long assay development times and specificity issues. The application of liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and selected reaction-monitoring-based analysis has demonstrated the ability to detect and quantify existing protein therapeutics in plasma. Furthermore, the multiplexing capability of selected reaction-monitoring analysis has also aided in the detection of multiple downstream biomarkers in a single analysis, requiring less sample than existing immunological techniques. The flexibility of mass spectrometric instrumentation has shown that the technique is capable of detecting the abuse of novel and existing protein therapeutics, and has a vital role in the fight to keep sports drug-free.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Phil Teale and other colleagues from Quotient Bioresearch for their work on developing LC-MS/MS assays for proteins in plasma.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
HFL Sport Science has been the recipient of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) funding for developing methods to detect biomarkers to protein and gene doping for sports-testing purposes. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.