Steve Gullans says gene doping could transform sport
“In as little as 20 years we could see another set of Olympic Games emerge – the altered Olympics – where all the athletes have undergone gene therapy,” says Steve Gullans, author, scientist and biotech investor at Excel Venture Management.
Gene therapy, or gene doping, is already a hot topic in sport and for a number of years World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) scientists have been working on ways to detect whether or not athletes have altered their genetic make up.
PICKING OUT WINNERS A number of genes have been identified as being extremely desirable for athletic performance. For example, almost every male Olympic sprinter and power athlete ever tested carries the 577R allele, and endurance athletes have been shown to have the EPO gene – Lance Armstrong’s drug of choice - which improves oxygen-carrying capacity.
Introducing genes to the body is such a simple procedure, that Gullans says it could be carried out in a sophisticated kitchen. This suggests that once gene therapy is proven to be safe and affordable, it is likely to become widespread – making it difficult for anti-doping authorities to root out those who use it.
Gullans isn’t exactly pro gene therapy in sport, however, he is a realist and believes that once it is proven to be safe, athletes – both recreational and elite – will want to use it, because that is human nature. Given the choice, many people might find the temptation to have the same gene mix as Usain Bolt too hard to resist.
“Botox sales were expected to be US$25m globally for a rare muscle disorder, but it sells billions and billions for beauty,” he says. “I think it is inevitable that when gene therapy is proven to be safe and affordable that people will want to use it to enhance their performance, because humanity has always lent that way.”
MEDICAL BENEFITS At present, gene therapy is only in use for medical applications, but Gullans predicts this will soon change: “In hospital settings, we can expect to see one success after another within 10-15 years,” he says. “The natural consequence of any new health-related technology is to move from rare, or tragic, disorders to other fields almost as fast as you can prove they are safe. One field is performance enhancement, the other is beauty and ageing.”
So Gullans believes elite athletes will use gene therapy first – within 10 years - and then it will move to recreational use: “If you’re a weekend mountain climber, would it be a big problem to give yourself more red blood cells to enjoy climbing mountains?”
The two biggest barriers to gene therapy – safety and accessibility – could be overcome fairly soon. There have been over 2,000 human gene trials, and molecules are being made in India and China, which will sort the supply issue and make the genes more affordable.
The International Olympic Committee follows the WADA Code, and WADA believes gene doping threatens the integrity of sport. It banned the practise in 2003, stipulating that gene therapy is prohibited if it enhances performance.
A WADA spokesperson said that the organisation is on it: “WADA has no evidence to suggest gene doping is being used by athletes, however, developing and validating technologies in order to detect it have been one of our priorities since 2004, when the first WADA expert group on gene doping was established.”
FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER Currently it is very difficult to determine if someone has used gene therapy, but Gullans says scientists will quickly figure it out: “As DNA sequencing gets faster and cheaper, you will be able to identify changes in a person’s DNA because you see three copies of a gene (two normal, and one altered), or you find some DNA from a viral vector that carried the DNA into your tissues. Basically, if you know what you’re looking for you can find it.”
Gene therapy researcher, Professor Lee Sweeney, has discovered that inserting the IGF-1 gene into the muscles of mice promoted muscle growth and slowed the ageing process. Sweeney is on the WADA board and currently believes gene therapy shouldn’t be used by athletes, as it has not yet been proven safe. However, once it has proven to be safe, he believes the ethics are less clear cut.
Sweeney said: “I think it’s unethical to withhold from someone something that would actually allow their muscles to be much healthier now and in the future. As long as there’s no safety risk, I don’t see why athletes should be punished by having these treatments withheld because they’re athletes. So, I’m on the other side of the fence from WADA on this one, even though we’re on the same team right now.”
Would watching Usain Bolt sprint be as exciting if we knew that he had built his genes to do so? Maybe not. Unless WADA can stay one step ahead, we might have to change our perception of sport.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Steve Gullans says gene doping could transform sport
“In as little as 20 years we could see another set of Olympic Games emerge – the altered Olympics – where all the athletes have undergone gene therapy,” says Steve Gullans, author, scientist and biotech investor at Excel Venture Management.
Gene therapy, or gene doping, is already a hot topic in sport and for a number of years World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) scientists have been working on ways to detect whether or not athletes have altered their genetic make up.
PICKING OUT WINNERS A number of genes have been identified as being extremely desirable for athletic performance. For example, almost every male Olympic sprinter and power athlete ever tested carries the 577R allele, and endurance athletes have been shown to have the EPO gene – Lance Armstrong’s drug of choice - which improves oxygen-carrying capacity.
Introducing genes to the body is such a simple procedure, that Gullans says it could be carried out in a sophisticated kitchen. This suggests that once gene therapy is proven to be safe and affordable, it is likely to become widespread – making it difficult for anti-doping authorities to root out those who use it.
Gullans isn’t exactly pro gene therapy in sport, however, he is a realist and believes that once it is proven to be safe, athletes – both recreational and elite – will want to use it, because that is human nature. Given the choice, many people might find the temptation to have the same gene mix as Usain Bolt too hard to resist.
“Botox sales were expected to be US$25m globally for a rare muscle disorder, but it sells billions and billions for beauty,” he says. “I think it is inevitable that when gene therapy is proven to be safe and affordable that people will want to use it to enhance their performance, because humanity has always lent that way.”
MEDICAL BENEFITS At present, gene therapy is only in use for medical applications, but Gullans predicts this will soon change: “In hospital settings, we can expect to see one success after another within 10-15 years,” he says. “The natural consequence of any new health-related technology is to move from rare, or tragic, disorders to other fields almost as fast as you can prove they are safe. One field is performance enhancement, the other is beauty and ageing.”
So Gullans believes elite athletes will use gene therapy first – within 10 years - and then it will move to recreational use: “If you’re a weekend mountain climber, would it be a big problem to give yourself more red blood cells to enjoy climbing mountains?”
The two biggest barriers to gene therapy – safety and accessibility – could be overcome fairly soon. There have been over 2,000 human gene trials, and molecules are being made in India and China, which will sort the supply issue and make the genes more affordable.
The International Olympic Committee follows the WADA Code, and WADA believes gene doping threatens the integrity of sport. It banned the practise in 2003, stipulating that gene therapy is prohibited if it enhances performance.
A WADA spokesperson said that the organisation is on it: “WADA has no evidence to suggest gene doping is being used by athletes, however, developing and validating technologies in order to detect it have been one of our priorities since 2004, when the first WADA expert group on gene doping was established.”
FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER Currently it is very difficult to determine if someone has used gene therapy, but Gullans says scientists will quickly figure it out: “As DNA sequencing gets faster and cheaper, you will be able to identify changes in a person’s DNA because you see three copies of a gene (two normal, and one altered), or you find some DNA from a viral vector that carried the DNA into your tissues. Basically, if you know what you’re looking for you can find it.”
Gene therapy researcher, Professor Lee Sweeney, has discovered that inserting the IGF-1 gene into the muscles of mice promoted muscle growth and slowed the ageing process. Sweeney is on the WADA board and currently believes gene therapy shouldn’t be used by athletes, as it has not yet been proven safe. However, once it has proven to be safe, he believes the ethics are less clear cut.
Sweeney said: “I think it’s unethical to withhold from someone something that would actually allow their muscles to be much healthier now and in the future. As long as there’s no safety risk, I don’t see why athletes should be punished by having these treatments withheld because they’re athletes. So, I’m on the other side of the fence from WADA on this one, even though we’re on the same team right now.”
Would watching Usain Bolt sprint be as exciting if we knew that he had built his genes to do so? Maybe not. Unless WADA can stay one step ahead, we might have to change our perception of sport.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Alterface Alterface’s Creative Division team is
seasoned in concept and ride development,
as well as storyte [more...]
TechnoAlpin Indoor TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. With the Indoor snow division, TechnoAlpin c [more...]
Taylor Made Designs Founded in 1993, Taylor Made
Designs supply corporate clothing
and brand-enhancing merchandise
to [more...]
Polin Waterparks Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin
has since grown into a leading company in
the waterpa [more...]
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
