Getting Ahead of Gene Doping in Racehorses

Gene doping’s effects, good or bad, remain unclear. It might not affect performance and could have serious side effects.
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Getting Ahead of Gene Doping in Racehorses
By injecting certain genes directly into a horse, handlers might be able to influence performance, Wilkin said. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
Gene doping could be the hot new thing in horseracing. More specifically, the hot new bad thing. As pharmaceutical doping tests become more powerful and efficient, and as gene therapies advance, the black market of the horseracing industry is turning to gene doping. And that’s opening a whole new can of proteins for detection.

“Some genes that are the focus of gene therapy research for their therapeutic effects may also have a role in athletic performance, and this is where the concept of gene doping stems from,” said Tessa Wilkin, PhD, of the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science and the National Measurement Institute Bioanalysis Group, both in Sydney, Australia.

By injecting certain genes directly into a horse, handlers might be able to influence performance, Wilkin said. However, scientists have not yet studied the effects—good or bad—of these injections. They might not affect performance, and they could cause severe side effects. It’s even possible the genes could filter through the bloodstream into the reproductive organs.

“This is one of the risks associated with gene doping—the injected gene could then be inherited with unknown effects on the foal,” she said

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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