ASSIGNMENT #3

The science of genetics is advancing faster than our moral intuitions can cope. No longer called “designer babies, “just a figment of the imagination, restricted to the realm of sci-fi movies (Sandel). With an emerging science called gene modification, these “designer babies” could be artificially programmed genetically to become potentially great athletes. Using it, an athlete could be injected with the DNA of an animal, for example, and quickly become much faster and stronger The implications are huge- and not just for babies and reproduction. We can modify our genetic make-up as adults too. Stonger muscles and bones, enhanced pain tolerance, faster recovery from exercise, and increased oxygen efficiency are just a few of the ways athletes can use gene enhancement for a competitive advantage

“You don’t need to lift weights, and you don’t need to go on 10-mile runs to train for endurance” explains Peter Weyand, a kinesiology professor at Rice University. “It would replace training; it would make training seem trivial and obsolete. Somebody who’s not athletic at all could be transformed into something superhuman.” Today’s world class athletes in many cases are already genetic oddities, many times through the aid of illegal drugs. But with genetic engineering, anyone might enhance his or her abilities “100, 200, 500, 1,000 percent,” Dr. Weyand says. He gives the example of using the fast twitch muscles of a mouse to create superfast sprinters.

For clarity purposes, it is important to identify key concepts and terms that are used in research on genetic technology.  In sport, doping has traditionally been the term that describes the process of using illegal performance enhancement substances.  Most sports governing bodies, as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), have some type of written policy that identifies which substances are not acceptable for the purpose of performance enhancement in sport.  Gene doping is a relatively new term. WADA defines gene doping as “the non-therapeutic use of cells, genes, genetic elements, or of the modulation of gene expression, having the capacity to enhance athletic performance.” It has been known (and still is by some) as genetic enhancement, gene modification, and gene therapy.

Distinguished Harvard philosopher, Michael Sandel, believes that we should be extremely cautious in our attempts to shape and master nature, and indeed to master our shape. Dick Pound, former chairman of WADA, said “Gene therapy has enormous potential to revolutionize medicine’s approach to curing disease and improving the quality of life. Unfortunately, this same technology, like many others, can be abused to enhance athletic performance…The same kinds of people who cheat in sport today will probably try to find ways to misuse genetics tomorrow.” He advises a proactive approach rather than the reactive one characteristic of past cases of performance enhancement in sport.

All of the various gene therapies hold great potential for treating people with serious illnesses like muscular dystrophy or crippling injuries. Through non medical enhancement, diseases might be cured and prevented, making the case for genetic enhancement a strong one in terms of science and medicine. But there are health and safety issues on the other side of the argument as well. Misuse by athletes trying to gain a competitive advantage has serious long term implications.

In theory we can now manipulate genes to make athletes run faster, jump higher, throw further. Does that mean sport will evolve into a form of competition between quasi-robots? And if so, would it matter? What makes something natural? Could great training versus ingesting drugs corrupt the purpose of sport? Where should the ethical lines be drawn for this new technology of genetic enhancement in sport?

Genetic modification in sport has created large scale discussion on ethical implications.  Research has been published with normative arguments that are against this relatively new technology.  

Research also exists that promotes the idea of genetic modification in sport.  One such argument is that genetically modified athletes would perform at higher, unimagined levels, thereby adding more excitement to sport. As a result, fan base and attendance at sporting events could potentially grow. These are but a few of the arguments.

The ability to test for genetically doped athletes creates another ethical and practical dilemma. The International Olympic Committee has already begun the search for a viable test for gene doping that does not involve muscle biopsies. If a test is found, we must consider the ethics associated with privacy, as genetic information could be given to third parties, leading to genetic discrimination.

When does therapy for an injury or an illness cross over to performance enhancement? What constitutes misuse? What codes of conduct should guide researchers and doctors? How can rules against genetic enhancement be enforced?

New technologies are currently being developed that will enable medical professionals to modify genes for medicinal purposes.  As the process continues to be refined, the emergence of a controversial new use for this technology has ignited some serious debate.  Scientists have submitted that genetic modification could potentially be used as a method of performance enhancement in sport. There are different schools of thought on this type of performance enhancement, and researchers and theorists have argued the advantages and disadvantages of using such a technology. Though the ethical debate on this matter is in its infancy, a general consensus is that the allowance of genetic modification for the purpose of enhancing performance in sport will most certainly create a new look, along with new concerns, for sport in the future.