The advancement of science and technology indirectly attentive to high performance sports worldwide. A new modality called genetic doping threatens to influence the results of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the sporting events of the not-so-distant future.
The practice of doping has existed since the invention of sport. History records countless cases of athletes consuming a substance that helped them improve their performance during a competition.
Over the years, medications have been developed to improve the recovery process of a muscle, fatigue and to increase endurance in a sport.
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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) It has identified all these substances and those who engage in this practice end up being subjected to severe penalties.
But now a new method appears that is responsible for directly modifying a person’s genetics to improve sports performance, which would be very difficult for WADA doctors to detect through a simple blood sample.
According to review Bio Biosome of the genetic doping techniques identified are:
- Gene therapy: An artificial gene is introduced into the athlete’s body to produce a performance-enhancing protein, such as erythropoietin (EPO), which increases red blood cell production.
- DNA modification: The athlete’s DNA is modified to produce a more efficient version of a natural protein, such as myostatin, that limits muscle growth.
- Gene editing: The CRISPR-Cas9 technique is used to edit the athlete’s DNA and correct genetic mutations that could affect their performance.
How do you detect those who undergo these procedures?
For now there is no 100% effective technique to detect when an athlete has undergone genetic doping. However, the AMA is working on several procedures that could be alternatives to find when this offense is incurred.
The best is the biological passport, a record of an athlete’s biological data, such as their blood and urine profile. This data can be used to detect changes that could be associated with gene doping.
With the biological passport, other methods could be applied such as messenger RNA analysis, proteomic tests, metabolite analyzes and imaging studies that detect changes in muscle structure.
The history of sport could change drastically if a method is not found to stop genetic doping. The marks and records achieved in the past would be left behind next to a “Super Human” genetically modified for a competition.