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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, August 14-17, 2004 The Park Record A-12 Future scandals could be genetic WE DESIGN, YOU RECLINE. i i . i i i HUVM FLVI- KK H 11 \ r m us: '/jfr;, (.hr^rml, \dv\; hr-iwr f.";/|-j) ii/Ji/ /VIVJ.V, flaunt. I $ 12 9 9 Sit back and relax in this beautiful leather, winy-chair recliner. Made by Hancock & Moore - makers of exceptionally fine leather furniture. ELDR^EDGE 4 7 5 0 South 9 0 0 East • ( 8 0 1 ) 2 6 1 - 1 4 1 4 www.parkrecord.com (AP) Tainted hy suspicions of drug use, the Athens (unncs may nevertheless mark one of the hist Olympics in ;in innocent age _ the days before genetic enhancement in sports. Recent developments may soon make it possible to genetically stimulate muscle growth in the limbs of athletes who want to jump higher, throw farther or punch harder than ever before. As the technology progresses, il also may become possible to boost oxygen uptake, cardiac output and metabolic efficiency Gene therapy experiments have produced mice and rats sporting muscles up io SO percent bigger than normal, with corresponding gains in strength. Researchers believe humans could achieve similar results, and expect to begin testing the new technology in the next few years on patients devastated by muscular dystrophy. After those trials, the next stage would be to offer the treatment to elderly people in danger of losing their independence to muscle wasting. "There's reason to think that this is going to happen." said physiologist H. Lee Sweeney of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. To athletes whose careers hinge on eking out a little more strength or shaving off mere hundred ths of a second, tales of mighty mice may sound awfully WE'LL HELP YOU RELAX! tempting. So templing that officials iit the World Anti-Doping Agency, which tests athletes for performance-enhancing drugs and tries to prevent their use, has already added genetic enhancement to its list of prohibited methods of improving performance, Not that the agency could stop so-called "gene doping." Like the technology itself, testing for genetic modification is still in its infancy __ and it may never he easy to detect. Most bioelhicists would accept the idea of using gene therapy to help an octogenarian carry a sack of groceries or climb a flight of siairs. But what's fair in sports? Would il be acceptable for a vigorous, middle-aged man to undertake gene therapy when he can't pump as much iron as he used to. or when he loses something olT his vertical leap in pickup basketball games? Would il be OK for pro athletes, whose livelihood depends on playing well'.' Ciene therapy pioneers conceived of il as a treatment for serious diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia, that can result from a single misspelling in the 3bi! I ion-letter genetic code. The idea is to attack illness at its rtxits. correcting or compensating for DNA misprints rather lhan Irealing disease symptoms with drugs. Using the foreign gene as a recipe, the body would become its own drtm factory, creating and deliver- tests, the dogs received a gene for a protein similar to the one thai is defective in muscular dystrophy. Tiial's great news for people who have the disease, bill doesn't alleviate concerns about athletes. "It may sound OK., technically, but it's not." said Theodore Friedmann. a pediatrician at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine who has advised the World Anti-Doping Agency aboul gene therapy. "It's highly risky, in addition to being very unlikely lo work very well." Biocthicisls worry that unscrupulous trainers will soon attempt lo set up underground gene therapy labs, luring elite athleles before legitimate researchers have developed and tested sale treatment protocols. It's happened already with performance-enhancing drugs such as E1JO, which hoosls the blood's ability to carry oxygen. It became apparent in the late 19S0s thai athletes were getling their hands on the drug when young, healthy cyclists began dropping dead of heart attacks, Iheir blood too thickened lo flow adequately " I l \ .i crazy situation," said John Hnbermnn. a University of Texas professor and author of an upcoming hook about ihe abuse o\ hormone drugs, " It really is a kind of cultural crisis that is extremely difficult or possibly impossible to resolve in a way thai most people would find satisfactory" ing a lifetime's supply of therapy. Such an approach would have numerous advantages over loday's drug-based therapies. Even the most effective drugs disappear from the body over time, and they often generate unwanted side effects. But while gene therapy offers hope, there also have been stunning disappointments. Horrified physicians have even watched patients die as their immune systems waged mortal combat against the products of their new genes or the vehicles used to deliver them. Tlic challenges remain daunting, though one application of gene therapy _ Ihe enhancement of muscular strength in the arms and legs _ may be on the way lo practical application. In recent experiments, researchers have injected mice and rats with a virus that has been genetically engineered to carry a gene for a biochemical messenger called IGF-I. When the body produces KiFI naturally, the molecule stimulates the growth of muscle fibers. So when ihe virus infects muscle cells, hijacking the body's genetic machinery so il produces even more IGF-1, serious buff ness results. Golden retrievers suffering from a genelic disease very similar to muscular dystrophy have been helped significantly by other experimental treatments. In Ihose Do You Remember That Cute Puppy You Brought Home? Has it chewed up your favorite slippers? Jumped on your mother-in-law? Replanted your Petunias? Raced you around the block? PROPERTY MGM17 CONTRACTOR DISCOUNTS • NEW SPAS FROM $ 2 9 0 0 • USED SPAS ( Taken food off the plate? ( • CHEMICALS • LAYAWAYS • EZ FINANCING At Arrow Kennels we have been improving the quality of life for dogs and their owners for over 28 years. Our training is one-on-one and tailored to your heeds. BEST OF ALL WE COME TO YOU! Call us today for a FREE evaluation of your best friend at your home. SHOWROOM 8800 S. 700 E. SANDY TIrrow Kennels, 3nc ifitCity 435-649^91 ^aafinfe. •.,-^^jM^^- REPLACEMENT •.. _ • „ • . * ' i -imam- *.... SPA COVERS '249 REG. $325 . * - ' - ' • * . 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