DropWise: current role and future perspectives of dried blood spots (DBS), blood microsampling, and their analysis in sports drug testing

For decades, blood testing has been an integral part of routine doping controls. The breadth of information contained in blood samples has become considerably more accessible for anti-doping purposes over the last 10 years through technological advancements regarding analytical instrumentation as well as enhanced sample collection systems. Particularly, microsampling of whole blood and serum, for instance as dried blood spots (DBS), has opened new avenues in sports drug testing and substantially increased the availability and cost-effectiveness of doping control specimens. Thus, microvolume blood specimens possess the potential to improve monitoring of blood hormone and drug levels, support evaluation of circulating drug concentrations in competition, and enhance the stability of labile markers and target analytes in blood passport analyses as well as peptide hormone and steroid ester detection. Further, the availability of the fraction of lysed erythrocytes for anti-doping purposes warrants additional investigation, considering the sequestering capability of red blood cells (RBCs) for certain substances, as a complementary approach in support of the clean sport.

Automated summary

Blood testing plays a crucial role in anti-doping controls, and advancements in technology and sample collection systems have made microvolume blood samples more accessible and cost-effective. These samples have the potential to improve monitoring of hormone and drug levels, evaluate circulating drug concentrations in competition, and enhance stability in blood passport analyses and the detection of peptide hormones and steroid esters.