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Potential genetic testing for substance abuse raises hope, concern
March 06, 2007Genetic tests using blood samples already are used to diagnose some diseases and even personalize treatment.
Now it is possible to develop similar tests that reveal a person's potential to become dependent on nicotine or marijuana or have antisocial personality disorder, University of Iowa researchers report online March 6 in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.
Such tests would not dictate who would become substance dependent or have behavioral problems, as genes do not function in isolation but are influenced by other genes and environmental factors, said the study's lead author Robert Philibert, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry in the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.
"Our study suggests that analyzing the expression of genes in blood could indicate whether a person is susceptible to having a behavioral disorder. Having a particular gene expression change does not by itself predict that a person will act a certain way. However, it can indicate who might have a greater biological basis for engaging in behaviors such as smoking and alcohol or marijuana use," Philibert said.
"What matters most is not whether you have a particular gene but whether the gene is expressed, and what other environmental factors may be at play. Genetic variation in and of itself is not deterministic," he added.
In a related study also published online March 6, Philibert and colleagues reported a potential blood test for panic disorder. Both the panic disorder study and one on substance abuse used data from the Iowa Adoption Studies, which were established by Remi Cadoret, M.D., an internationally renowned UI professor of psychiatry who passed away in 2005.
In this latest study, the researchers found certain differences in the genes of people with a history of smoking compared to those without such a history. In all, 579 genes were more expressed and 584 genes were less expressed in people who had smoked.
Philibert and colleagues recognized both the positive potentials and the ethical concerns that could stem from the research.
"On the one hand you can say there is an ethical risk in identifying people who might be prone to alcohol abuse or smoking and how insurance companies, for example, might use that information," said Tracy Gunter, M.D., UI professor of psychiatry and a study co-author. "Yet there could be benefit in early identification of people at risk of behaviors such as substance abuse.
"Physicians could implement individualized prevention plans and provide personalized treatment, and knowledge of a disorder would give the individual greater knowledge of his or her vulnerability and therefore greater responsibility to manage it," Gunter added.
The technique used to analyze blood is called "transcriptional profiling," said Anup Madan, UI adjunct assistant professor of neurosurgery and an assistant professor at the Institute of Systems Biology in Seattle.
"Transcription profiling involves looking at all the genes — nearly 30,000 of them — at one time. We label all the expressed genes by fluorescent tags, and changes in fluorescence intensity are used to identify differential gene expression," Madan explained.
"We can see if there is a pattern of genes for a specific disease. Over time, we can build a map and see what is happening and define relationships between genes," he added.
The team used samples from six subjects in the Iowa Adoption Studies and nine controls to perform the initial profiling. They then used data from 94 adoption study subjects to check for pattern matches at the gene level.
Madan acknowledged the ethical issues, yet potential gains, for individuals' health care.
"Blood is the one substance that passes through all the other organs, and we now have the potential to make it a window into preventing and treating disease," he said. "Practitioners, as well as patients, need to understand the consequences. Fortunately, we have time before tests are developed and become commercially available to think about and discuss the issues."
Gunter added, "Just because we can look at the deep biology of the individual doesn't automatically mean negative outcomes will follow.\\\
University of Iowa
"Our study suggests that analyzing the expression of genes in blood could indicate whether a person is susceptible to having a behavioral disorder. Having a particular gene expression change does not by itself predict that a person will act a certain way. However, it can indicate who might have a greater biological basis for engaging in behaviors such as smoking and alcohol or marijuana use," Philibert said.
"What matters most is not whether you have a particular gene but whether the gene is expressed, and what other environmental factors may be at play. Genetic variation in and of itself is not deterministic," he added.
In a related study also published online March 6, Philibert and colleagues reported a potential blood test for panic disorder. Both the panic disorder study and one on substance abuse used data from the Iowa Adoption Studies, which were established by Remi Cadoret, M.D., an internationally renowned UI professor of psychiatry who passed away in 2005.
In this latest study, the researchers found certain differences in the genes of people with a history of smoking compared to those without such a history. In all, 579 genes were more expressed and 584 genes were less expressed in people who had smoked.
Philibert and colleagues recognized both the positive potentials and the ethical concerns that could stem from the research.
"On the one hand you can say there is an ethical risk in identifying people who might be prone to alcohol abuse or smoking and how insurance companies, for example, might use that information," said Tracy Gunter, M.D., UI professor of psychiatry and a study co-author. "Yet there could be benefit in early identification of people at risk of behaviors such as substance abuse.
"Physicians could implement individualized prevention plans and provide personalized treatment, and knowledge of a disorder would give the individual greater knowledge of his or her vulnerability and therefore greater responsibility to manage it," Gunter added.
The technique used to analyze blood is called "transcriptional profiling," said Anup Madan, UI adjunct assistant professor of neurosurgery and an assistant professor at the Institute of Systems Biology in Seattle.
"Transcription profiling involves looking at all the genes — nearly 30,000 of them — at one time. We label all the expressed genes by fluorescent tags, and changes in fluorescence intensity are used to identify differential gene expression," Madan explained.
"We can see if there is a pattern of genes for a specific disease. Over time, we can build a map and see what is happening and define relationships between genes," he added.
The team used samples from six subjects in the Iowa Adoption Studies and nine controls to perform the initial profiling. They then used data from 94 adoption study subjects to check for pattern matches at the gene level.
Madan acknowledged the ethical issues, yet potential gains, for individuals' health care.
"Blood is the one substance that passes through all the other organs, and we now have the potential to make it a window into preventing and treating disease," he said. "Practitioners, as well as patients, need to understand the consequences. Fortunately, we have time before tests are developed and become commercially available to think about and discuss the issues."
Gunter added, "Just because we can look at the deep biology of the individual doesn't automatically mean negative outcomes will follow.\\\
University of Iowa
Substance Abuse Current Events and Substance Abuse News RSSNew research on family-based HIV prevention presented at annual NIH conference
Researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center (BHCRC) presented exciting new research today at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Annual International Research Conference on the Role of Families in Preventing and Adapting to HIV/AIDS.
UNC study: Parenting can override effect of genes in how babies respond to stress
Everyone gets stressed, even babies. Now, it appears how infants respond to stress is linked to if they have a particular form of a certain gene, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Monitoring outcomes of suicide attempts in pregnancy can better assess drug dangers
Monitoring the health of children born to women who attempted suicide while pregnant can shed light on which medicines and what doses are particularly dangerous to developing fetuses, according to researchers from Hungary who publish their findings in a series of reports in a special issue of Toxicology and Industrial Health, published this week by SAGE.
Early parenting plays key role in infants' physiological response to stress
In infancy, genes are the key influence on a child's ability to deal with stress. But as early as 6 months of age, parenting plays an important role in changing the impact of genes that may put infants at risk for responding poorly to stress.
New study on rural HIV care has economic and health implications
An Indiana University study found that HIV care providers in rural Indiana report significant stigma and discrimination in the rural medical referral system surrounding issues of HIV and substance abuse. Providers felt that these factors impeded their ability to offer quality care to their patients.
Why delaying gratification is smart: A neural link between intelligence and self-control
If you had a choice between receiving $1,000 right now or $4,000 ten years from now, which would you pick? Psychologists use the term "delay discounting" to describe our inability to resist the temptation of a smaller immediate reward in lieu of receiving a larger reward at a later date.
Abuse of painkillers can predispose adolescents to lifelong addiction
No child aspires to a lifetime of addiction. But their brains might. In new research to appear online in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology this week, Rockefeller University researchers reveal that adolescent brains exposed to the painkiller Oxycontin can sustain lifelong and permanent changes in their reward system - changes that increase the drug's euphoric properties and make such adolescents more vulnerable to the drug's effects later in adulthood.
College freshmen: pain killers and stimulants less risky than cocaine; more risky than marijuana
First year college students believe that occasional nonmedical use of prescription pain killers and stimulants is less risky than cocaine, but more risky than marijuana or consuming five or more alcoholic beverages every weekend.
Study suggests sports stadiums serve alcohol to minors and intoxicated fans
In a novel study looking at the propensity of illegal alcohol sales at sports stadiums, researchers reported that nearly one in five people posing as underage drinkers, and three out of four seemingly intoxicated "fans" were able to buy alcohol at professional sporting events. They also found that location mattered: sales were more likely if the attempt took place in the stadium stands rather than at a concession booth.
Suicidal thoughts among college students more common than expected
More than half of 26,000 students across 70 colleges and universities who completed a survey on suicidal experiences reported having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point in their lives. Furthermore, 15 percent of students surveyed reported having seriously considered attempting suicide and more than 5 percent reported making a suicide attempt at least once in their lifetime.
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