Exploring the epigenetics of cocaine resistance

Drug addiction is known to have a heritable component and to run in families. However, a recent study in rats by Vassoler et al.1 shows an unexpected resultthat the sons of males who had self-administered cocaine had a reduced propensity to take this drug and a delay in their acquisition of drug-see...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNature medicine Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 136 - 137
Main Authors Hope, Bruce T, Skinner, Michael K, Kenny, Paul J, Akbarian, Schahram
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.02.2013
Nature Publishing Group
Subjects
631/378/1689/5
631/378/2584/2585
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - genetics
Cancer Research
Cocaine
Cocaine - administration & dosage
Cocaine-Related Disorders - genetics
community-corner
DNA Methylation
Drug abuse
Drug addiction
Drug resistance
Epigenesis, Genetic
Epigenetic inheritance
Epigenetics
Genetic aspects
Health aspects
Humans
Infectious Diseases
Male
Metabolic Diseases
Molecular Medicine
Neurosciences
Offspring
Rats
United States
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Summary:Drug addiction is known to have a heritable component and to run in families. However, a recent study in rats by Vassoler et al.1 shows an unexpected resultthat the sons of males who had self-administered cocaine had a reduced propensity to take this drug and a delay in their acquisition of drug-seeking behavior. The authors linked these behavioral changes to epigenetic changes in the sperm from cocaine-exposed males and in the brains of their male offspring. We asked four experts to comment on the results of this study and their implications for understanding how addictive phenotypes are inherited.
ISSN:1078-8956
1546-170X
DOI:10.1038/nm.3091