Gene Doping and Ethical Considerations

Despite international associations and World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) efforts against doping, with technology advancement and achievement of various sciences, especially medicine to modern technologies and detection of a variety of treatment methods and techniques, we witness a new class of doping called ‘gene doping prevalent in sport associations, that emerges new ethical controversy for sport competitions and ethic associations. With the evolution of human genome project, detection of many genes and use of gene therapy and treatment of numerous severe diseases have been possible. Achieving this advancement, brought about several ethical considerations such as: genetically modified infant, genetically modified athletes and gene doping. In this review, we initially searched all related resources and articles through internet (Google, Plumbed, Science Direct and Ovid). The keywords included:"Gene doping", "Ethical consideration"," Ethics and athletic manipulation". Then the articles were divided into two groups (full text and abstract) based on the relevance and recentness. The WADA defines gene doping as ‘‘the non-therapeutic use of genes, genetic elements and/or cells that have the capacity to enhance athletic performance’’. Nowadays, it is clear that various genes influence sport performance and many of which can be used for gene doping. Also, the gene technology can be used for treatment of severe sport injuries which can make athletes leave sport. There are ethical considerations that ethic associations try to find answers for which, such as: •Is it necessary to ban gene manipulation in athletes absolutely?•Is it necessary to allow athletes use gene technology only for improvement of injuries or specific diseases?•Despite difficulties in detection of gene doping in future, do we witness doubts about the nature of sport?•Should we deprive genetically modified athletes from sport competition or prepare specific competitions for them?Above mentioned ethical questions that are challenging world of sport and related ethical committees must be dealt with and such committees must find answers for these questions.