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Interview with Robin Parisotto about Bio Passport

Oct 6, 2009
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NY Velocity has an interview with Robin Parisotto, who is one of the nine members of the Bio Passport panel.

What escapes most critics is that the passport approach will be able to detect new age blood doping techniques including genetic blood doping. The passport approach therefore is in for the long haul and is not a knee jerk approach to the problem of doping as has often been the case in the past, and still is, in many other sports. Despite criticisms other sports could take a leaf out of the UCI book.
 
While I think the passport has probably reduced (not eliminated) the incidence of doping, a couple of remarks made in this interview have to be challenged.

Until someone can invent a way to blood dope without actually changing 'things' in the blood the passport will be an effective tool for deterring and detecting blood doping.

The way to do that is using synthetic vectors like PFC. They have relatively little effect on the passport parameters. Maybe some, I doubt very much that any studies have been done, but certainly not as much effect as transfusions of red blood cells.

Second, the quote about "genetic blood doping" is not entirely accurate. The biopassport could presumably detect doping with the gene for EPO, but not for other genes that affect how much oxygen is carried or delivered by red blood cells. Also, this remark obscures the fact that gene doping is not just about blood parameters. There are many genes that could potentially boost athletic performance without affecting oxygen transport. The biopassport program as currently constituted would have little or no ability to detect such doping, though it might be extended in the future to do so.
 
Jun 12, 2010
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The big floor with the Bio Passport is while it may indicate the likely hood of doping if no actual drug is detected I`d suspect that in the highest court with the best ( and no doupt expensive ) lawyers working for the defense its going to struggle to gain a prosecution.
Isnt this perhaps one reason no realy big fish have been subject to sanction?
 
Jun 12, 2010
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python said:
this must be 10th or 15th thread about biopassport. hope to read something new.

Sorry about that python..Im relativly new to this forum..which I guess is a problem on many forums...the same things come round with a new audiance.
 
python said:
this must be 10th or 15th thread about biopassport. hope to read something new.

That may be... There are a lot of threads on repetitive subjects - otherwise there wouldn't be that many threads! The main thing is that the interview referenced is new. Haven't read it yet, but I guess there would likely be something new in there to discuss all the same.
 
Jul 28, 2009
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Merckx index said:
Second, the quote about "genetic blood doping" is not entirely accurate. The biopassport could presumably detect doping with the gene for EPO, but not for other genes that affect how much oxygen is carried or delivered by red blood cells. Also, this remark obscures the fact that gene doping is not just about blood parameters. There are many genes that could potentially boost athletic performance without affecting oxygen transport. The biopassport program as currently constituted would have little or no ability to detect such doping, though it might be extended in the future to do so.
Well, what is Parisotto's backround? I think he is a physiologist or biochemist, my initial inclination was that he may not be as familiar with the technology but he is co-author on a review of gene doping. Maybe he is just tailoring his remarks for a general audience.

Anyway, genes are pretty easy to test for (if you know what you're looking for).
 

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