A Predisposition for Addiction?
There have been many questions throughout our history debating the idea of inherited influences versus environmental influences. It has been widely accepted in our society today that smoking cigarettes is an addictive habit that can eventually lead to lung cancer. However, some people seem to smoke and not become addicted, and others who have addictions also live without ever developing cancer. This puzzling scenario of double standards was thought to have a genetic determinant. Until a recent series of studies in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics this link was not found.
Through these studies however a variation in the gene on chromosome 15, which helps regulate the body’s response to nicotine, was found to be this link. In case studies that covered over 35,000 smokers the researchers discovered that individuals with one variation of this gene had a 15% chance of developing lung cancer while individuals with two copies had a 25% chance.
What is most interesting perhaps is the discovery that these variations do not necessarily lead directly to lung cancer, but instead lead to more smoking. It was found that individuals with one variation smoke one extra cigarette per day on average, and those with two variations smoke two cigarettes per day over the average. Since there is more consumption this indirectly leads to an increased risk of lung cancer. It is clear here that this disease is environmentally linked, not genetically, and that this variation on chromosome 15 simply increases the risk for individuals carrying it.
This sentiment is shared by a study coordinator Kari Stefansson who says “Lung cancer is almost certainly environmentally induced, and we have found the variant that pulls us toward that environment."
It appears that addiction is not genetically linked, but your genes can increase your individual risk of becoming affected. Smoking in this sense is the trigger for this variation to have an affect. Stefansson, the main researcher in this study is coming out with a product to screen your genetic profile for this variation to find your level of risk. I, however, think that if you’re on the fence just don’t bother buying the cigarettes.
Daniel O’Leary
posted by PWH @ 5:54 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I was a little confused by the article. I thought at first variations on chromosome 15 could cause you to become addicted to nicotine products more easily than someone without variations. Are these variations on chromosome 15 genetically inherited? What exactly do the variations on 15 do? I know both of my parents and quite a few of my family members smoke or use to. I've been around it my whole life but never had a desire to smoke. Do you think a person's craving for cigarettes could possibly be genetically based or do you think its brought on by social influences? Great post.
Posted by: Christine McConville
This is interesting but a little confusing. From it I can see how people may have more addictive personalities and it would cause them to stay addicted for longer. Very interesting.
Posted By Julie Hachey
Very interesting post. This proves that certain people truly are more prone to addiction, at least with certain drugs. However I am positive that environment also has a lot to do with nicotine addiction. Think about it...if one of the people with two copies of the gene grew up not knowing what a cigarette was, they obviously wouldn't smoke 2 extra cigarettes a day. Great post, the study of genetics continues to amaze me.
Posted by Ben Tummino
Great post! Is there any research being done on what the variants in chromosome 15 do to make someone more susceptible to nicotine addition on the cellular level? Also, did they find that people with the variants are more likely to become addicted to anything else other than nicotine?
Posted by: Nicole Eckart
I had never heard about any genetic variations regarding chromosome 15 leading to an increase in nicotine addiction, so this was a very informative post. I wonder, however, if these variations simply lead to an increase in smoking, or if it enhances one's likelihood to be addicted to other drugs in general. It would be interesting to learn exactly what variations/mutations cause people to be more inclined to smoke and from what original population they arose. What environmental factors actually cause these genetic alterations?
-- Thomas FitzGerald
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