Gene doping in sport might not be science fiction anymore
It can not be ruled out that somewhere in the world in sport someone is already using gene doping, involving the transfer of genes into cells in the athlete\'s body. It is an idea taken from gene therapy, says the expert of the World Anti-Doping Agency Prof. Carl Johan Sundberg.
Genes affect our performance, endurance, resistance to pain - so they determine whether a person can be a good athlete. But what if we improve our genetic material and introduce new genes into the cells that will make us faster, stronger and more endured? It is no longer a complete fiction. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) introduced the relevant prohibitions on the use of gene doping - and does not rule out that unscrupulous athletes have already resorted to such deception.
Gene doping largely mimics gene therapy, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) expert Prof. Carl Johan Sundberg from the Swedish Karolinska Institutet, who spoke at the European Science Open Forum (ESOF) in Manchester. Sundberg reminded that gene therapy was developed in the 1970s and is currently being tested in many places in the world. It is a hope in the treatment of some cancers and eye diseases.
The researcher explained that the gene therapy imitates what viruses do in nature. Viruses are experts when it comes to entering the cells. They know how to pass through the cell membrane and deliver their genetic material, said the scientist. Using so called viral vectors (appropriate DNA molecules) it is possible to get to the nucleus of the cell, attach certain genes to the DNA and make the cell begin to produce specific proteins.
Sundberg suggested that in the case of athletes desirable genes would be those that increase muscle mass, tissue vascularity or the number of red blood cells, or decrease perception of pain.
Transfer of genes may allow, for example, to increase the production of EPO (erythropoietin) in the athlete\'s body. Sundberg explained that EPO is a hormone produced in the body - primarily in the kidneys. This hormone increases the production of red blood cells (for example in case of a shortage of oxygen at high altitudes). In athletes, EPO can improve performance. This hormone is a well-known doping agent detected in anti-doping tests. However, it appears that traditional anti-doping tests can be beaten by forcing the body to increase the production of EPO. This method has already been tested on people with some forms of cancer. Genes that increase production of EPO are delivered to the patient\'s muscles (gene transfer to kidney cells would be too risky). As a result, the body begins to produce the hormone itself. Sundberg suggested that it could not be ruled out that someone had already used this for doping.
This is why WADA has developed the first anti-doping test that will detect such gene fraud.
The test uses the fact that EPO produced in muscles interacts with the compounds in the body differently than the natural EPO produced in the kidneys. This allows to detect this type of gene doping.
Increasing the production of EPO in the body is just one of the possibilities of gene doping. We do not know what to expect in the future. Sundberg guessed that various genes could, for example, be delivered to cells of the heart (in order to improve its functioning), the liver (to increase metabolism and endurance) or into the brain (in order to increase tolerance for pain).
According to the expert, it is not known whether gene doping is already used and whether it will ever be used, but WADA wants to be prepared. The expert noted that the agency funded research on more tests for the detection of gene doping.
Swedish researcher also drew attention to the risks associated with gene doping. He admitted that destruction of cells can not be excluded - for example muscle cells - when introducing genes into tissues. In addition, this method is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Autoimmune reaction may also occur - the body will fight with cells containing the new genes, recognizing them as foreign. And in addition, if the gene doping leads to an increased production of red blood cells, this increases the risk of stroke or heart attack.
The expert also pointed out that genes delivered to the cells can not be removed later. They are not like a drug, which over time is removed from the body. They remains in the cells, Sundberg said.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland, Ludwika Tomala
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