| Gene Mutation May Signal Alcoholism | |
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Dr. Dirk Lichtermann from the University of Bonn, Germany and his associates have uncovered a genetic change in alcoholics and their families in a gene that controls the transport of serotonin, an important chemical messenger in the brain.
Their research found that some individuals have a "long form" and a "short form" or mutated form of this serotonin-controlling gene. If individuals with the short form of the gene drink, they are more likely to develop alcohol dependence, because of the low turnover of serotonin in the brain.
Significant Difference
Dr. Lichtermann tested 92 alcohol-dependent patients and their parents to determine if the alcoholic patients received the short form of the serotonin transporter gene or the long form.Of the 102 parents with one long form and one short form of the gene, 65 transmitted the short form to their children and 37 transmitted the long form, they found. Because normally a 50-50 distribution of the gene is passed on, the 65-37 ratio is statistically significant.
This finding is sufficient to support an association of the short form of the gene with alcohol dependence, according to the report in the American Journal of Psychiatry. These findings are consistent with previous research by other scientists.
The significance of Dr. Lichtermann's research is the possible development of medications that could treat alcoholism. Since a lack of serotonin may play a role in alcohol dependence, drugs that raise serotonin levels might be used to treat alcohol dependence, he concluded.
Only a Theory
Individuals bearing the short form of the gene could be identified by genetic testing and then treated with such drugs in an effort to prevent or treat alcoholism, the study concluded, but currently that is only a theory.Further research would be required to determine if raising the serotonin levels in the brain actually has an effect on alcohol-dependent or potentially dependent patients, Lichtermann said.
According to NIAAA Director Enoch Gordis, M.D., "Success in uncovering the genes involved in a vulnerability to alcoholism will help us to recognize the potential for alcoholism in high-risk individuals, to intervene at an early stage, and to develop new treatments for alcohol-related problems."
"This is a productive area of research that will continue to yield important answers to the basic questions of what causes alcoholism and how we can prevent and treat it."
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