Consorzio piemontese per la prevenzione e repressione del doping e di altri usi illeciti dei farmaci – Centro regionale antidoping “A. Bertinaria”

The Consortium

The Consortium was established in 2002, while in 2004 the Regional Anti-Doping Center was  inaugurated to meet the needs related to the “XX Winter Olympics” and the “IX Winter Paralympic  Games” of Turin 2006. There are four bodies that found the Consortium and they are: Piedmont Region,  University of Turin, Institute of Sports Medicine and AOU – San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital. 

To date, the Consortium consists of: 

• Piedmont region 
• University of Turin 
• AOU San Luigi di Orbassano 
• Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle D’Aosta

The Centre

The Regional Anti-Doping Centre “A. Bertinaria” (CAD) takes the form of a work of high social interest at  regional and national level.  

The CAD was identified by the Piedmont Region as a regional reference specialist laboratory for  toxicological diagnostics (DGR 03.08.2007 N°19-6647 and DGR 09.03.2009 N°13-10928) and with DGR  nr. 38-8424 of 15 February 2019 as a reference laboratory of the Metropolitan Area Health Authorities,  where to centralize first level toxicological analyzes and has been confirmed as the regional reference  point for level II toxicological analyses. 

The CAD holds UNI EN CEI ISO/IEC 17025:2018 certification for the determination of narcotic and  psychotropic substances on biological matrix and for the analysis of DNA for identification purposes on  samples, traces and biological findings in compliance with the provisions of Law no. 85 of 30 June 2009  and the implementing regulation Presidential Decree no. 87 of 7 April 2016. 

Routine toxicological activity and forensic biology activity are strongly connected to an intense research  and methodological development activity, addressed to broadening both the spectrum of substances  sought and analyses on alternative biological matrices. Further research and characterization activity  of findsjudicial interest is carried out for the purposes of scientific investigation and the advancement  of forensic science. 

Typically, Competent Companies and/or Doctors in the context of toxicological surveillance activities  pursuant to Legislative Decree 81/08, as well as the territorial Forensic Medicine and Drug Addiction  Services, the public laboratories of the ASO and ASL, the Public Prosecutor’s Offices and Courts of the  Republic, the Judicial Police Officers and the Traffic Police bodies. 

The lab is divided into the following areas: 

✓ CHEMICAL-CLINICAL AREA: level I toxicological analyzes as well as determinations of physio pathological parameters of clinical interest; 

✓ CHEMICAL AREA: level II analysis to evaluate the presence of the main classes of drugs subject  to abuse in the analyzed matrices. Analytical methods of ever greater competitiveness from a  technical and scientific point of view are developed and updated. The activity of this area is also  extended to the forensic (with the execution of expert work or technical consultancy) and 

veterinary (through research activities planned in collaboration with Zooprophylactic Institutes)  fields; 

✓ FORENSIC BIOLOGY: DNA analysis for identification purposes and the forwarding of  extrapolated genotypic profiles to the National DNA Database. 

✓ CLINICAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY: During the pandemic, the area performed molecular swab  analyses for the Sars Covid-19 virus. The project is particularly aimed at precision medicine, in  order to optimize the responsive capabilities of each patient to the pharmacological therapies  administered. The area carries out activities related to the phenotypic characterization of  genetic profiles deriving from activities carried out on behalf of the Judicial Authority for trial  purposes.