JUST what is it that makes the difference between Olympic gold and the agony of defeat? For athletes, it is about training hard, eating right and preparing mentally 鈥� and sometimes taking illegal substances. What they cannot do anything about is their genes.
This week researchers announced that they have genetically engineered 鈥渕arathon mice鈥� that can run almost twice as far as normal mice. The modified mice have been given an extra gene to boost production of a protein called PPAR-delta, which increases the number of slow-twitch muscle fibres that are vital in endurance events (see 鈥淢arathon mice can run and run鈥�).
The study raises the question of how many of the runners in the gruelling marathons in Athens have natural genetic variations that boost their PPAR-delta levels. Researchers could soon be adding these to the growing list of genetic variations linked to specific athletic abilities. For sporting authorities, the big worry about such research is that athletes desperate for success might soon be able to resort to gene therapy.
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But consider the case of the boy recently found to have a mutation that greatly boosts muscle growth. If he competes in the 2016 Olympics, say, his rivals will face someone with a prodigious genetic advantage. That seems unfair, but it would also be unthinkable to exclude him on the grounds of a natural genetic mutation.
Perhaps sporting authorities should consider the idea that gene therapy, if it ever becomes safe and effective, does not have to be about giving a few athletes an unfair advantage. It could be a way of levelling the playing field for all.