Smoking signs: Scientists at the University of Iowa have discovered a genetic profile in smokers that may determine a person's risk of developing nicotine addiction.

Biomedicine

The Genetics of Nicotine Addiction

University of Iowa researchers believe they have found a genetic pattern among smokers.

  • Thursday, March 8, 2007
  • By Jennifer Chu

Researchers at the University of Iowa have identified certain genetic profiles that may be linked to a person's risk for developing nicotine addiction and other psychological behaviors. Using a genome-wide scan, scientists analyzed blood samples from smokers versus nonsmokers and found similar genetic patterns among smokers that may one day be used as a genetic test to determine who may be more vulnerable to nicotine addiction.  

"When you look at substance-abuse disorders and antisocial behavior, these are the last vestiges of the belief that mental impairments are related to moral will," says Tracy Gunter, director of forensic psychiatry at the University of Iowa and a coauthor of the study. "And one of the exciting things in this work is [that] it's beginning to form ideas that folks with these disorders are biologically different."

In the past few years, researchers around the world have zeroed in on various genetic regions believed to be involved in one's vulnerability to addiction. Some have studied genes that control certain neurotransmitters in the brain, while others have looked at genes related to addictive traits like risk taking and impulsivity. Gunter and her colleagues chose to look at the genome as a whole and observe which genes are turned on and which turned off in people with a long history of smoking.

"One gene itself doesn't tell you whether you have a disorder," says Robert Philibert, a University of Iowa professor of psychiatry and the study's lead author. "But if you measure 30 or 40, you come up with a good risk. So what we do is spot the biology."

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In this latest study, published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Philibert and his colleagues analyzed the DNA samples of 94 people, some smokers and some nonsmokers. Using a technique called transcriptional profiling, they looked at all 30,000 genes of the human genome, fluorescently labeling those that were turned on versus those that were turned off in both groups. What they found was both promising and daunting: 579 genes were more activated and 584 other genes were less activated in smokers versus nonsmokers.

"This is sort of like shining a light in a tomb," says Philibert. "It says there's a lot here, but it doesn't tell you anything about it. In order to really explore the biology, people will have to replicate this."

Gunter adds that few psychological behaviors exist alone. For example, people who smoke may also have panic disorders or depression, each of which may involve a number of different genes. "How do you sort that out?" Gunter asks. "Is a genetic test disorder- specific, or specific to a cluster of disorders? There may be some sites that contribute more to prediction of a disorder than other sites. In the years to come, could we prune that down? Maybe."

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brunascle

65 Comments

  • 1804 Days Ago
  • 03/08/2007

is it related to alcoholism?

have they found anything that would suggest that nicotine addiction is related to alcoholism?

i have a theory that the alcoholism gene actually has nothing to do with alcohol, but just determines a general susceptibility to addiction.

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blunney

17 Comments

  • 1804 Days Ago
  • 03/08/2007

Gene for willpower

Be that as it may, when I finally *really* wanted to quit smoking after fifteen years of being a pack-a-day man, I quit cold turkey.  Genetics can't be an excuse for lacking willpower.

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Staggerbot

4 Comments

  • 1798 Days Ago
  • 03/14/2007

Re: Gene for willpower

if what we call "will power" is a mental charcteristic influenced by brain structure and neurotransmitters and all the rest of it, then I wouldn't be surprised if they do find a genetic profile for greater will power

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TomTom

29 Comments

  • 1804 Days Ago
  • 03/08/2007

Genes are expressed in reponse to the environment

Why is it that the gene for smoking is present while one is a smoker, but when one stops, the gene can't be detected?  Hypnosis has helped many people stop smoking.  Did the hypnosis alter the genes?

And on alcohol, the same thing may be seen.  But many alcoholics have a genetic condition called pyroluria, which creates anxiety and stress.  They are self-medicating.  Do a Google search for pyroluria and you will get 1000's of links.

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