Gene doping
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Gene doping is defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency as "the non-therapeutic use of cells, genes, genetic elements, or of the modulation of gene expression, having the capacity to improve athletic performance." [1] (http://www.wada-ama.org/docs/web/research_science/prohibited_substances/2005%20list/list_2005.pdf) A complexethical as well as a philosophical issue develops on what exactly defines "gene doping", especially in the context of transhumanism and human evolution. Transhumanists would view genetic enhancement as legitimate, while the philosophical opposition would cite the discrimination against those who do not have the ability, financially or otherwise, to undergo such enhancement, making genetic enhancement abuse.
An example of gene doping would involve gene therapies to treat muscle-wasting disorders will soon be entering human clinical trials. Among these are therapies that give patients a synthetic gene, which can last for years, producing high amounts of naturally occurring muscle-building hormones such as insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I). The chemicals are indistinguishable from their natural counterparts and are only generated locally in the affected tissue. Nothing unusual enters the bloodstream, so officials will have nothing to detect in a blood or urine test.
This form of doping is not limited to the modification of muscle growth. With the possibility of introducing completely new synthetic genes in addition the thousands of existing genes available for overexpression, gene therapy (and therefore gene doping) is limited only by the current level of genetic knowledge and the imagination of researchers.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has already asked scientists to help find ways to prevent gene therapy from becoming the newest means of doping.
See also
External links
- World Anti-Doping Agency Website (http://www.wada-ama.org/en/t1.asp)
- Genetically Modified Athletes, by Dr Andy Miah (http://www.GMathletes.net)
- Bioethics & Sport Blog (http://bioethics-sport.blogspot.com)
- Scientific American July 2004 - Gene Doping (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa008&articleID=000E7ACE-5686-10CF-94EB83414B7F0000&pageNumber=3&catID=2)
- Miah, A. (20033) Gene Doping: Sport, Values & Bioethics. In Glasa, J. (Ed.) The Ethics of Human Genetics. Strasburg, Council of Europe, pp.171-180 (http://www.media.paisley.ac.uk/andymiah/Miah2002GeneDopingGlasaBk.pdf)
- Forum for the Analysis of Sport Technology (http://www.fast.paisley.ac.uk)
