PROJECT SUMMARY “Chip Technology for the Detection of Growth Hormone Abuse”

Recombinant human growth hormone (rGH) has found wide-spread appliance in the sport community in the believe that it has ergogenic effect and the understanding that its (mis)use cannot be perceived by current analytical methodologies. Efforts to detect indirect evidences (biochemical markers) of rGH use are encouraging but never will be a definitive proof of the drug. Direct distinction of rGH from endogenously produced GH is difficult based only on the amino acid sequences, which appear to be identical. Additionally, the secretion of the endogenous hormone is a pulsatile event in nature, and that appears to retort differently depending on the kind of exercise performed. An absolute quantification as a single parameter for the detection of misuse is therefore unsustainable.