Doping in Torino

I am writing from the Torino Media Centre within the City after having read and heard a lot more about Repoxygen. Over the last few days, there have been a number of journalists getting in touch wanting to find out about this. On Thursday, I interviewed for the Canadian Broadcast Corporation’s evening news. I spoke with Tom Harrington, whom I first met in Toronto when Genetically Modified Athletes came out. It’s so good to speak to Tom, as he is genuinely interested in the broader philosophical questions that the development in technology provokes. I am also interviewing for CBC’s The Hour on Monday, which will take place at the Main Media Centre in Torino.

From what I have seen, doping has been high on the news agenda for Torino. There still seems a lot of confusion about whether genetic doping is taking place and there are no confirmed cases. However, there does seem to be a lot of uncertainty about the circumstances here, which is quite different from Athens where nearly no discussions emerged during Games time about whether gene doping might be happening.

From what I have read, there is also less clarity about how best to deal with genetic doping. While WADA and others wish to treat it as just another form of doping, i believe that there is also a philosophical uncertainty about the future of doping and its bearing on humanity. This ambiguity relates to the broader changes within society through technology. In the end, we appear to live within a culture of enhancement and, in this environment, the relevance of prohibiting genetically modified athletes is weakened. All that remains is the medical interest to protect its integrity and the safety of athletes.

If any journalist would like to call me for interview while in Torino, I can be contacted on:

0034 6365 0302

Repoxygen

Last week, a new gene doping story broke just as I was preparing my final grades for the end of semester and desperately trying to finalise details for the the research trip to the Torino Olympics. Repoxygen has been billled as the first case of genetic doping. Naturally, the media has gone crazy trying to understand what this means and sports officials already claim that a test is already under development.

Interestingly, the claim about this new method of doping using ‘repoxygen’ was discovered through heresay:

“The springboard for these dire pronouncements was an email German police found on the computer belonging to former east German coach to Katrin Krabbe, Thomas Springstein, who is on trial at the moment for doping under-age female athletes. The message complained how “difficult it is to get hold of Repoxygen. Please give me new instructions so that I can get hold of the product for Christmas”. Michael Butcher, Scotland on Sunday [who, by the way, didnt bother to call me for an opinion!]

I’m off to Turin tomorrow and already have interviews lined up on this subject. On the approach to Athens, scientists were claiming that Beijing might be our first Gene Games, but it seems Turin might have that famous title.

Gene Doping Stockholm Declaration

After a fascinating series of presentations at the Stockholm meeting, we concluded proceednigs with a drafting of a declaration on gene doping. I think of particular interest was the stance taken on the use of genetic tests. This might raise a number of challenges for those who are already using them, though the declration does not forbid the use of such tests.

WADA’s Second Gene Doping Symposium

From 4-5 December, the World Anti-Doping Agency hosts its second Gene Doping symposium in Stockholm Sweden. They have already issues a press release for this meeting and, like the NYC meeting in 2002, the proceedings are closed to the media and by invitation only.

At the meeting, I will give a reply to Dr Thomas H. Murray, President of The Hastings Center as part of a session on the ethics and policy implications of gene doping for sport.

One of the greatest catalysts for media coverage at the first meeting was Lee Sweeney’s statement that he had been contacted by coaches and athletes who wish to enrol in gene therapy trials, in order to boost their performances. For the media and many other interested parties, this made the issue real and present.

It is likely that this meeting will present some advance on whether detection will be possible and I will argue for a re-definition of the ethics of sport based on a couple of recent pieces I have written. The first – published in the journal Public Understanding of Science – will advance a critique on the way in which gene doping has been discussed in society; the second – published in the European Journal of Sport Science – will argue that anti-doping policy should be replaced with a ‘performance policy’.

Together, my conclusion will state that a rejection of gene transfer on the basis of current arguments implied and explicit within anti-doping policy is not justified. The two references are as follows:

Miah, A. (2005). “Genetics, cyberspace and bioethics: why not a public engagement with ethics?” Public Understanding of Science 14(4): 409-421.

Miah, A. (2005). “From anti-doping to a ‘performance policy’: sport technology, being human, and doing ethics.” European Journal of Sport Science 5(1): 51-57.

Is ‘Gene Doping’ Wrong?

This is the title of an article I recently published with Project Syndicate. Rather than repeat the entire article here, I will just paste links to its various translations:

Is ‘Gene Doping’ Wrong? (English, by Andy Miah)

¿Es inaceptable el “dopaje genético”? (Spanish, Translated by Carlos Manzano)

Что плохого в «генетическом допинге»? (Russian, Translated by Николай Жданович)

Faut-il condamner le dopage génétique ? (French, Translated by Bérengère Viennot)

Ist „Gendoping“ verwerflich? (German, Translated by Anke Püttmann)

Je „genetický doping“ nesprávný? (Czech, Translated by Jiří Kobělka)

“基因兴奋剂”错了吗？ (Chinese, Translated by 许彬彬)

هل “تنشيط الجينات” خطأ؟ (Arabic, Translated by Ibrahim M. Ali

SportsGeneTest.com and ACTN3

I have just returned from Belgrade, where I presented a paper in an invited symposium at the 10th European College of Sport Science meeting. The title of the paper was ‘Ban Drugs, Permit Gene Transfer‘. Upon my return, I was updating the GMathletes website and discovered the SportsGeneTest website.

To my knowledge, this is the first site to indicate commercial tests for athletic performance. I noticed they have a policy statement, but it is only in German. If anyone can read German, perhaps you would tell me if it is an interesting statement or not!

More information is available through the Australian site ‘Genetic Technologies‘. In fact, at this page, the ‘ethical tell’ is a little clearer from their advice for coaches. I quote:

“It is important to note:

• this test is primarily aimed at elite athletes, serious competitors and teenagers already involved in sport and considering the next steps in terms of professional sports development;

• this test provides a complementary insight into a person’s natural sport gearing and should only be considered as one aspect of a range of elements that go into being a champion, such as determination and the desire to win, enjoyment of the sport, coaching, nutrition, ability and level of fitness;

• the test may only be beneficial for those children already involved in and enjoying their sport who desire some direction as to their optimum sport or event if considering sport as a career or serious hobby;

• Genetic Technologies does not recommend or condone using the results of this test to pressure children into any sport or event. Children should only participate in sports that they enjoy for the purpose of fun and exercise.”

So, it would seem they are concerned about:

1. These tests being used too early in a competitors life. Perhaps parents might wish to try them on their kids first, as a means of deciding whether it is worthwhile for them to play sport.
2. Genetic determinism – coaches/parents might conclude that the test result is the dominant predictor of performance capacity.
3. Tests might be imposed upon (young) athletes – though notably, they do not demonstrate a concern for adults being tested.

Well, I cover some of these issues in GMA, so perhaps no need to go over old ground. Still, genetic testing has yet to really hit home in the world of sport. It seems to be seen as merely an extension of talent identification, though I am not convinced that the principles are the same.

More on Genetic Tests for Performance

A few months ago, I posted on the use of genetic tests in the AFL. Since my very first talk about genomics and sport in 1999 at the First International Conference on Human Rights and Sport, I have been arguing on this subject. In 2003, the Australian Law Reforms Commission wrote about the potential for discrimination arising from genetic tests in sport.

This issue has arisen again in the context of the Australian Football League. Reports indicate that Port Adelaide and Essendon are considering the use of genetic tests to ‘predict’ the capacity of ‘natural physical attributes’. The Age (Sydney) reported that each test would cost around AU$750 and AFL Players’ Association president, Brendon Gale, has argued that such tests would be contrary to privacy laws in Australia. This issues seems about to, ahem, ‘kick off’ in Australia and few other countries have yet to really think it through.

Certainly, employment law might be a reasonable avenue for action within the UK, though where this takes place with young athletes, it seems likely to fall within the realm of parental consent.

Some of this relates to a piece I published a few years ago on this subject:

Miah, A. (2001) Genetics, Law & Athletes’ Rights, Sports Law Bulletin 4(5), pp.10-12
Available here: http://www.media.paisley.ac.uk/andymiah/Miah2001GeneTest.pdf

Genetically Modified Athletes

Today, my new book Genetically Modified Athletes: Biomedical Ethics, Gene Doping and Sport was published by Routledge. It is the first book publication on this subject and intends to set-out the range of ethical issues arising from gene transfer and genomics more generally.

Australian Law Reforms Commission

The ALRC has just published its 1,000 page report on the legal aspects of using genetic information, ‘Essentially Yours’. One entire section of this is dedicated to considering the legal/ethical aspects of how genetic info might be used in sport. The central concerns are whether sports authorities would be entitled to request such information and how it might be used as a way of excluding genetically risky people from participation. The report also highlights the prospect of identifying ‘performance genes’ and how these might also lead to new methods of talent identification. Selecting the next generation of elite winners might soon be based on a genetic profile rather than going out and watching kids play.