World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) members, International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials and others think that genetic doping looms.

In a report published on its website, Betterhumans found that: "In an attempt to beat the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) drug tests, some athletes have turned to laboratories that produce and distribute undetectable performance-enhancing drugs. But as science advances, so does the potential for undetectable enhancements, and the next big thing isn't drugs but gene therapy: Manipulating DNA to enhance abilities in a nearly undetectable manner—in essence, changing the body itself to be stronger, faster and overall better for athletics."

"Whether it's a reality in the real world of athletics no one knows yet but we all think it will be a reality in the reasonably near future," says Theodore Friedmann, a member of WADA's health medicine research committee and an expert on gene transfer therapy. Others are less conservative. "I think it's a concern for this year's Olympics," says Andy Miah, a professor at the University of Paisley, Scotland and author of Genetically Modified Athletes.

Gene therapy involves the injection of therapeutic genes into a subject's cells to replace faulty or nonexistent genes or to augment the level of gene activity, which controls how much of a protein is produced. A vector, typically an altered virus, delivers the genes to target cells.

"Sweeney's gene therapy discovery, which has made him the target of so many athlete inquiries, came earlier this year while looking for a treatment for muscular dystrophy. Sweeney and his team discovered that by injecting the gene for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) into rats, the animals were able to better build and retain muscle. Rats injected with IGF-1 increased muscle size and strength by 15% to 30%, while rats injected with the gene and then put through ladder-climbing exercises doubled their muscle strength. The study results, published in the March issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, indicate that if healthy people inject IGF-1 their muscles would get stronger without doing additional exercise. And for elite athletes, the benefits could be even more profound, making the effects of training last longer and helping them overcome injury more easily."

Once again, we will be left wondering what percentage of our athletes' performances is "natural"! Sigh.

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netlexblogger - Jeux Olympiques d'Athènes 2004 - Athens 2004 Olympic Games

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