Gene Therapy
In sports, it used to be about who could bench the most, or run the longest and fastest. Then a new era came, who could swallow the most steroids. Surprising to many, those fads are out. What is the new trend? They call it “Gene Therapy.” Gene therapy is described to be when a procedure is done to a human’s DNA that permanently alters its make up. Technology has given doctors and athletes the ability to make ones body faster and stronger.
Currently, there are procedures readily available to test athletes for steroid consumption, and testing positive can suspend an athlete indefinitely in their sport. But is there a testing procedure available to tell if ones genes and DNA have been altered? Hardly. Some scientists have clamed that if tested close to the time of taking the altering drug that it can be detected. Unfortunately, with the highly anticipated, and highly competitive Winter Olympics speedily approaching, and the new push for public awareness that is attached to the DNA altering, athletes have since ceased the consumption for such powerful, yet dangerous drugs.
Through testing on monkeys, scientists have found that although these chemicals can alter the genes and improve one’s ability to perform, it comes with a downfall. Tested monkeys have had offspring that hasn’t survived the birthing process. Although that’s a heavy chance to risk, there are benefits. First off it improves athletes. Through testing, it has improved that sight of the colorblind, and has dramatically improved muscle growth.
With the Winter Olympics right around the corner, expect to have athletes in the running for gold metals, as well as winning them that have taken the dramatically shocking, yet dangerous performing enhancing chemicals. Although we wished that the athletes would remain “clean” and drug free, for those going for the break of their lifetime, biomedical engineering has made these opportunities possible for those truly unworthy of a gold metal.
If biomedical engineering can create such a monster, I hope to see in the future a testing procedure that can ban such athletes from performing, and only allow those from a natural, health birthed child, who has worked all their life for such and opportunity, to compete.
Original Site:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-02/gene-therapy-marks-next-frontier-sports-doping
Supporting Sites:
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/medicine/genetherapy.shtml
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