Principle considerations for the use of transcriptomics in doping research

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Microarray platforms enable genome-wide RNA expression analysis.
• Transcriptomics can identify gene expression patterns and cellular pathways.
• Doping substances may alter mRNA expression, detectable in blood.

Purpose of the Study:

• Critically review the potential and pitfalls of blood transcriptome screening for doping research.
• Assess transcriptomics as a tool for identifying gene expression signatures or biomarkers.
• Discuss the feasibility of using transcriptomics in doping controls.

Main Methods:

• Review of transcriptomic approaches and their application in doping research.
• Discussion of confounding factors affecting transcriptomic studies.
• Analysis of challenges in applying strict guidelines to field conditions.

Main Results:

• Transcriptomic approaches offer potential for biomarker discovery in various conditions.
• Significant biological and technical confounding factors impact transcriptomic data reliability.
• Field conditions for doping controls often prevent adherence to strict guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Current transcriptomic methods face limitations due to confounding factors in doping research.
• Standardized procedures are difficult to implement under typical doping control conditions.
• Further technological progress is required to develop robust and legally valid biomarkers.