Genetic variability in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and nicotine addiction: converging evidence from human and animal research.

ABSTRACT: Tobacco smoking is a leading preventable cause of death in the United States and produces a major health and economic burden. Although the majority of smokers want to quit, few are successful. These data highlight the need for additional research into the neurobiology of tobacco dependence. Addiction to nicotine, the main psychoactive component of tobacco, is influenced by multiple factors that include individual differences in genetic makeup. Twin studies have demonstrated that genetic factors can influence vulnerability to nicotine addiction, and subsequent research has identified genes that may alter sensitivity to nicotine. In humans, genome-wide and candidate gene association studies have demonstrated that genes encoding nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) proteins are associated

SUBMITTER: Portugal GS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2602830 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature