Dear Dr Mel
If you here of any gene virus techniques to help me loose my fat belly and
look like Tom Cruise, be sure to let me know. Regards Kevin
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 24 January 1999 16:16
Subject: PERFORMANCE VIRUSES
>Recent advances being made now by scientists probably will thrust most
>bodybuilding and strengthening drugs into oblivion, together with all the
drug
>tests and laws which have been devised in an attempt to control them. User
>groups, muscle magazines, and sports controlling bodies will no longer be
>agonising about how to keep sport 'clean', for they will be forced to deal
>with something completely different - simplified and mass market-ready
genetic
>modification.
>
>So this sounds like science fiction? Don't be so sure. In the December
22,
>1998 issue of 'Proceedings of the Nat Academy of Sciences, USA',
researchers
>reported on the use of gene therapy to treat age-related loss of muscle.
They
>injected mice with an insuline-like growth factor gene transported into
their
>cells via a 'sanitised' virus whose disease-causing abilities had been
>removed.
>
>Since viruses have this powerful ability of inserting things wherever they
>feel so inclined or are programmed to do so, this gene was able to reach
>muscle stem cells and convert them into functional muscle tissue. Older
mice
>treated with these viral 'bullets' exhibited a 27 percent increase in the
>amount of these muscle cells, compared with untreated mice.
>
>Sure, this experiment began with mice, but how many other medical and
>biological advances have started with mice and ended up with humans? I am
>sure that it is not very long before 'strength' and 'hypertrophy' vruses
are
>going to be injected into humans - possibly first with older subjects with
>clinical conditions, but that is how most anabolic-androgenic substances
were
>born, anyway, and athletes will be hot on their heels.
>
>Who knows, some parents will be using these muscle-smart viruses into their
>children (together with other such viruses designed to enhance neural
>capabilities) to ensure that their offspring can get a headstart on the
>neighbours' kids?!
>
>The technology is now with us, a few more years of animal and human
volunteer
>experimentation lie ahead, and designer viruses might well be a part of
daily
>life!
>I shudder to think about the implications for sport and especially the
Olympic
>movement. Quo vadis - indeed?
>
>Dr Mel C Siff
>Colorado, USA
>[log in to unmask]
>
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