Gene Doping in Sports

Abstract

Gene or cell doping is defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as "the non-therapeutic use of genes, genetic elements and/or cells that have the capacity to enhance athletic performance". New research in genetics and genomics will be used not only to diagnose and treat disease, but also to attempt to enhance human performance. In recent years, gene therapy has shown progress and positive results that have highlighted the potential misuse of this technology and the debate of 'gene doping'. Gene therapies developed for the treatment of diseases such as anaemia (the gene for erythropoietin), muscular dystrophy (the gene for insulin-like growth factor-1) and peripheral vascular diseases (the gene for vascular endothelial growth factor) are potential doping methods. With progress in gene technology, many other genes with this potential will be discovered. For this reason, it is important to develop timely legal regulations and to research the field of gene doping in order to develop methods of detection. To protect the health of athletes and to ensure equal competitive conditions, the International Olympic Committee, WADA and International Sports Federations have accepted performance-enhancing substances and methods as being doping, and have forbidden them. Nevertheless, the desire to win causes athletes to misuse these drugs and methods. This paper reviews the current status of gene doping and candidate performance enhancement genes, and also the use of gene therapy in sports medicine and ethics of genetic enhancement.

Gene Doping: The Undetectable Performance-Enhancing Drug?

“…In addition, Rivera et al documented regulated Epo expression from a single injection in rhesus macaques after 6 years. Aside from Epo, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are also other likely targets of gene dopers [7,10,14]. IGF-1 vectors would aid in muscle development, repair while VEGF would increase angiogenesis, and therefore blood flow.…”

“…Thus, some fraudulent athletes may eventually trial a different type of PED called gene therapy [1][2][3][4][5][6], the gold standard of doping. First addressed in 2001 by the International Olympic Committee and later prohibited in 2003 by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), gene doping has raised concerns for several years [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]; however there is no definitive evidence to support that gene therapy has ever been used as a form of athletic enhancement. This short commentary analyzes gene doping in its infancy as the ultimate performance-enhancing method and threat to sports as we know it.…”

Terapia gênica, doping genético e esporte: fundamentação e implicações para o futuro

“…The introduction of genetically modified organisms generates a great uncertainty, especially if the virus mutagenic potential is considered (22) . Moreover, the less known effects are concerned with the long run expression of the genes introduced as well as the lack of control of the expression of such genes (21) .…”

“…Leptin, a peptidic hormone especially produced in the adipose tissue whose main action is related to the control of the hunger feeling and satiety, reduction of eating intake and consequent weight loss (43) , is also a candidate for abuse as gene doping (22) .…”

“…Nevertheless, this kind of treatment may carry a potential risk of misuse by athletes who search for physical performance improvement, as occurs in high level sport. The misuse of this therapy is called gene doping and has been issue of a scientific-academic debate whose importance has been growing in sports medicine and sports sciences (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27) .…”