Horsetalk.co.nz
New test can identify gene doping in horses
Researchers have developed a test to identify gene doping in horses.
The test, created by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, can detect the local administration of illicit, gene doping therapies in equine athletes.
Gene doping agents, unlike other small-molecule pharmaceuticals, trigger cells to produce performance-enhancing proteins.
These proteins, which often are more elusive because of their virtually indistinguishable characteristics from naturally occurring proteins within the body, can make it more difficult to determine whether an animal or human has had gene therapy administered.
The new test is described as a significant breakthrough in the collective fight to advance the welfare and integrity of sport for both horses and humans.