Explainer: what is gene doping – and will any athletes at Rio 2016 have tried it?

Abstract

Gene doping is simply gene therapy in people who don’t need it. The aim of gene therapy is to permanently cure sick individuals of their conditions by altering their genetic makeup. The aim of gene doping, meanwhile, is to artificially enhance an individual – to make them better than themselves, perhaps even everyone – by altering their genetic makeup. In many respects, gene doping is similar to conventional performance enhancing drugs – they too are often misused medical treatments. However, gene doping could potentially have permanent effects, good and bad, and be much harder to detect. Access this article on The Conversation website: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-gene-doping-and-will-any-athletes-at-rio-2016-have-tried-it-63230