Gene doping between fiction and science

Abstract

Gene doping represents the latest challenge in the doping matter; the progress made both in biotechnology and in gene therapy gained notoriety and stimulated the interest of several sportsmen as well as of trainers with a view to use them in order to increase performance. The premises that led to the idea of using gene transfer in sports, the legal issues, the ethical and deontological problems raised by the use of this new method, its effects, the present stage of the measures taken by the anti-doping agencies with reference to sanctioning and testing gene transfer applied to sportspersons are presented in this study.

Key words:

gene doping, testing, anti-doping