Post by danman on Jan 14, 2005 23:01:18 GMT -5
This was a recent cover story in "Scientific American" magazine. Here's the link:
www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000E7ACE-5686-10CF-94EB83414B7F0000&sc=I100322
Basic Synopsis:
Scientists have discovered the genes in human DNA responsible for triggering both muscle-building and muscle-destroying enzymes.
They've demonstrated the ability to manipulate these genes in rats via a harmless virus that readily infects muscle tissue. They either cause a reduction in muscle-destroying enzymes or an increase in muscle-building enzymes, both of which are known to be natural mutations in humans.
This "gene doping" is superior over anabolic steroids because it only affects skeletal muscle, is only present in the skeletal muscle the modified virus is injected into, and is very, very hard to detect because there is no substance to be detected in the bloodstream or urine.
This new gene doping method may become available to those suffering from musculer dystrophy and other muscle wasting diseases in the next ten to twenty years...and unmodified sports may die out in the same timeframe.
www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000E7ACE-5686-10CF-94EB83414B7F0000&sc=I100322
Basic Synopsis:
Scientists have discovered the genes in human DNA responsible for triggering both muscle-building and muscle-destroying enzymes.
They've demonstrated the ability to manipulate these genes in rats via a harmless virus that readily infects muscle tissue. They either cause a reduction in muscle-destroying enzymes or an increase in muscle-building enzymes, both of which are known to be natural mutations in humans.
This "gene doping" is superior over anabolic steroids because it only affects skeletal muscle, is only present in the skeletal muscle the modified virus is injected into, and is very, very hard to detect because there is no substance to be detected in the bloodstream or urine.
This new gene doping method may become available to those suffering from musculer dystrophy and other muscle wasting diseases in the next ten to twenty years...and unmodified sports may die out in the same timeframe.