Special-T.B.K
Bluelighter
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- Nov 18, 2004
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Drug addiction linked to genes
Lisa Macnamara
April 17, 2006
THE chances of becoming hooked on cocaine could depend on genes.
New research involving DNA samples from 700 cocaine abusers and 850 non-users in Brazil found people who carried two copies of a gene variant were 50 per cent more likely to become addicted to the drug.
Cocaine acts to inhibit the action of a protein, known as DAT, that controls the removal of the chemical dopamine in the brain. The result is a "high" feeling when nerve cells in the brain are overloaded with the good-mood chemical.
The study, by a team of British and Brazilian researchers, including geneticist Gerome Breen from the Institute of Psychiatry at London's Kings College, found people who had two copies of the variant that influenced the amount of the DAT protein were at greater risk of addiction.
"What seems to be happening is that once someone with this variant is exposed to cocaine they start to produce less of this dopamine transporter protein than they had before and this has a knock-on effect in the brain and knocks the system out of kilter," Dr Breen said.
SpecTBK
Lisa Macnamara
April 17, 2006
THE chances of becoming hooked on cocaine could depend on genes.
New research involving DNA samples from 700 cocaine abusers and 850 non-users in Brazil found people who carried two copies of a gene variant were 50 per cent more likely to become addicted to the drug.
Cocaine acts to inhibit the action of a protein, known as DAT, that controls the removal of the chemical dopamine in the brain. The result is a "high" feeling when nerve cells in the brain are overloaded with the good-mood chemical.
The study, by a team of British and Brazilian researchers, including geneticist Gerome Breen from the Institute of Psychiatry at London's Kings College, found people who had two copies of the variant that influenced the amount of the DAT protein were at greater risk of addiction.
"What seems to be happening is that once someone with this variant is exposed to cocaine they start to produce less of this dopamine transporter protein than they had before and this has a knock-on effect in the brain and knocks the system out of kilter," Dr Breen said.
SpecTBK