As genetic technologies continue to progress at a rapidly, these developments bring on some potential misuses together.  After created “super mouse” models by animal experimental studies the term of genetically modified athletes (GMA) was popular. The discussion on gene doping was initiated in June 2001. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has included the method of gene doping in their list of prohibited classes of substances and prohibited methods in 2003. In 2004, World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited the method of gene doping also.  In this rewiev, firstly gene doping and related genes [eg. erythropoietin (EPO), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gama (PPAR-γ), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1), myostatin, follistatin, bone morphogenic protein (BMP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiotensin I–converting enzyme (ACE), endothelial nitric oxide syntase (eNOS), Actinin binding protein 3 (ACTN3) and endorphins] were described, and following in vitro and in vivo gene doping methods were introduced. Then the possibile health risks of using gene doping methods were defined. The detection methods of gene dopings (expression profiling, assessment of the immune response to the gene delivery vector, determination of structural differences between the transgene and the endogenous one, DNA Barcodes and assay for tissue-specific promoters/ligand inducible promoters) were compared. Finally, preventive measures and ethical aspects of gene doping were discussed.

Key Words:  Gene therapy, gene doping, sport