In a society captivated by fantasy, oneself tries to suppress reality and delve into temporary euphoria. It was all the way back in Ancient Greek times that opium poppies were used as a natural narcotic for a temporary escape from physical and emotional pain. Society experimented and some became physically dependant on these narcotics to produce analgesia, narcosis and a feeling of great elation, which in turn triggered addiction. This addiction has transcended through generations and in the past half a century substance addiction has been at an all time high. Celebrities and other high-profile personas have almost made substance abuse acceptable and some might even say popular amongst young party-goers of the twenty-first century. But when does the trend stop becoming a social experiment and start becoming an actual anatomical genetic inheritance?
"A summary of chromosomal locations of peaks or intervals for addictions to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, nicotine and opoids. Each linkage is shown with either a colour-filled circle or a rectangle, representing a reported linkage peak or region, respectively. %u2018Significant' or %u2018suggestive' linkage was determined by independent studies on at least two substances of abuse."
Addiction has been known to be called a disease, but recently addiction has been named a genetic disorder. Presented in the April 2009 issue of Nature Reviews Genetics was new insights into the significant scientific advances in understanding the genetics of addiction. Ming Li, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the UVA School of Medicine and Margit Burmeister, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and human genetics at the University of Michigan are co-authors to this scientific breakthrough. The article presents a summary of specific genomic locations on 11 chromosomes where addictions to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, nicotine and opoids are clustered together.
"The comparison of peaks for addictions to multiple substances on certain
chromosomal locations confirms that genetic vulnerability to different
substances overlaps, in part," Li says.
Researchers are now looking to narrow the scope to specific genetic targets, aiming to identify exact genetic variants and molecular mechanisms. In turn, researchers and other addiction experts may be able to create much more effective, even personalized treatments for individuals dealing with addiction to a variety of substances.
I guess these new findings delve into even more complex ethical issues that have always surrounded this disease; for example how it is common among addicts is to refuse responsibility for their habits, and now scientists have discovered that their not completely wrong. As genetics advances, discoveries in this field will be able to bring much more sense to the issue of addiction and hopefully level out an all time peak in substance addiction.
References:
Source: University of Virginia Health System. "Common Genes Tied To Alcohol, Nicotine, Cocaine Addictions." ScienceDaily 16 March 2009. 17 March 2009
Source: Britannica Online Encyclopedia. “Narcotics” 17 March 2009
Image Source: University of Virginia Health System. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/>
By Sophia Absalom
