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Review
. 2016 Jul;25(3):377-85.
doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2016.02.002. Epub 2016 Apr 9.

Genetics of Substance Use Disorders

Cassie Yu  1 , Jon McClellan  2
Affiliations
Review

Genetics of Substance Use Disorders

Cassie Yu et al. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Substance abuse disorders have a strong genetic component. Genetic risk factors associated with alcohol abuse include common variants in genes coding for alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptors. Functional missense mutations in ADH1B and ALDH2 are protective against alcohol dependence. Nicotine use disorders are associated with polymorphisms in a cluster of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on chromosome 15q24, and mutations that reduce the enzymatic activity of CYP2A6. Genetic risk factors for other illicit drug use have not been well-studied. Most genetic vulnerability toward substance use disorders remains unexplained. Future research will benefit from advanced whole-genome sequencing technologies.

Keywords: Addiction; Alcohol; Alcohol dehydrogenase; Aldehyde dehydrogenase; Genome-wide association; Genomics; Nicotine; Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

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