Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr 1;8(4):15-20.
doi: 10.31080/asne.2025.08.0815. Epub 2025 Mar 13.

Is It Scientifically Possible To 'Cure" Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) Via Transplice Molecular Genetic Technology?

Affiliations

Is It Scientifically Possible To 'Cure" Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) Via Transplice Molecular Genetic Technology?

Kenneth Blum et al. Acta Sci Neurol. .

Abstract

In 1995, Kenneth Blum coined the term "Reward Deficiency Syndrome'(RDS) to provide the mental health field with an umbrella term expressing a dissatisfaction of everyday experiences due to a dysregulation of dopaminergic dysregulation especially the DRD2 Taq A1 polymorphism presenting with up to a 40% reduction of D2 receptors in brain tissue with two copies. While the concept of RDS as the actual real umbrella of all mental illness unlike the current DSM-V (the brain is not carved out as portrayed by this important psychiatric manual) awaits further intensive research. In fact, Steven Hyman (former director of NIMH) suggests otherwise and has urged for research related to etiological causes instead to help explain the failings of mental health. Certainly, the RDS Consortium agrees with this difficult but needed psychiatric challenge. It is noteworthy that as of 2-5-2025, there are 1615 articles listed PUBMED using the word term "Reward Deficiency" and 270 listed for RDS specifically. However, since the initial finding of the first gene discovered to associate with severe alcoholism being the DRD2A1 allele by Blum and Noble and their associates, at least 700 or more genes have been found to be involved in RDS behaviors. While this seems quite complex in a study submitted for publication elsewhere deep silico GWAS meta-meta-analysis and pharmacogenomics mining has filtered the actual gene network down to 29 as a predictive panel of RDS behaviors. However, only 15 of these genes are linked into a network and five of these genes include DRD2, DRD4, OPRMI, COMT and 5-HTTLR. Understanding the relevance of a shared genetic basis for mental illness the RDS consortium is developing novel technology to scientifically "cure" RDS via gene editing technology (e.g. Transplice molecular genetic technology). Certainly, the jury is not in as yet, but we are encouraged about the future following arduous research from the scientific community requiring "all hands on deck".

Keywords: Dopamine Dysregulation; Gene Editing; Genetic Testing; Messenger RNA (mRNA); Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS); Trans -Splicing Molecular Genetic Testing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Schematic of Trans-splice molecular technology. Developed by Lloyd Mitchel of Retro Therapy with permission.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
The trans-splicing technique. Original developed by Developed by Lloyd Mitchel of Retro Therapy with permission.

Similar articles

References

    1. Blum K, et al. “Allelic association of human dopamine D2 receptor gene in alcoholism”. JAMA 263.15 (1990): 2055–2060. - PubMed
    1. Noble EP., et al. “Allelic association of the D2 dopamine receptor gene with receptor-binding characteristics in alcoholism”. Archives Of General Psychiatry 48.7 (1991): 648–654. - PubMed
    1. Noble EP., et al. “Allelic association of the D2 dopamine receptor gene with cocaine dependence”. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 33.3 (1993): 271–285. - PubMed
    1. Blum K, et al. “The D2 dopamine receptor gene as a predictor of compulsive disease: Bayes’ theorem”. Functional Neurology 10.1 (1995): 37–44. - PubMed
    1. Blum K, et al. “The D2 dopamine receptor gene as a determinant of reward deficiency syndrome”. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 89.7 (1996): 396–400. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources