. . MEDICAL: CONDITIONS: ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE : DRUG ALCOHOL SUBSTANCE ABUSE: THERAPY TREATMENT REHABILITATION: Gene Variants Predict Treatment Success for Alcoholism Medication . . Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:21:25 -0500 From: "NIH OLIB (NIH/OD)" <olib@xxxxxxxxxx> To: NIHPRESS@xxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Gene Variants Predict Treatment Success for Alcoholism Medication . . U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News . . National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/ . . For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 . . CONTACT: NIAAA Press Office 301-443-3860 e-mail: NIAAAPressOffice@xxxxxxxxxxxx . . GENE VARIANTS PREDICT TREATMENT SUCCESS FOR ALCOHOLISM MEDICATION . . NIH-supported study demonstrates the promise of personalized medicine . .The effectiveness of an experimental treatment for alcoholism depends on the genetic makeup of individuals who receive it, according to a new study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. A report of the findings appears online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
."This study represents an important milestone in the search for personalized treatments for alcohol dependence," says NIAAA Acting Director Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D.
.Researchers led by Bankole Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, conducted a controlled trial to determine if the medication ondansetron could reduce problem drinking, in alcohol-dependent individuals. Ondansetron is currently used to treat nausea and vomiting, often following chemotherapy. It works by blocking receptors for the brain chemical serotonin.
.The current study extends the researchers' previous work on the role the brain's serotonin system plays in alcohol misuse. Serotonin mediates many processes in the brain, including the rewarding effects of alcohol. Dr. Johnson's group has shown that variations in the gene that encodes the serotonin transporter, a protein that regulates the concentration of serotonin between nerve cells, can significantly influence drinking intensity. Specifically, serotonin transporter variants designated as LL and TT have been associated with more severe drinking problems. The researchers have also reported that ondansetron may be an effective therapy for some people with alcoholism.
.In this study, Dr. Johnson and his colleagues performed genetic analyses to determine which serotonin transporter gene variants were carried by each subject, then randomly assigned each subject to treatment regimens with ondansetron or placebo.
.The researchers found that, for subjects with the LL genotype, those receiving ondansetron reduced their average number of daily drinks to less than five, while those receiving placebo continued to have five or more drinks per day. LL subjects who received ondansetron also had significantly more days of abstinence, relative to those who received placebo. Ondansetron's effects were even more pronounced among individuals who possessed both the LL and TT gene variants, while subjects who lacked the LL variant showed no improvement with ondansetron.
."By being able to do genetic screening beforehand, clinicians can eliminate a great deal of the trial and error approach to prescribing medicine," says Dr. Johnson. "Personalized medicine allows them to better predict a successful treatment option."
.The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health, is the primary U.S. agency for conducting and supporting research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol problems. NIAAA also disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at
. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov .The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit
. http://www.nih.gov . . ## . . This NIH News Release is available online at: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2011/niaaa-19.htm . . Sincerely, David Dillard Temple University (215) 204 - 4584 jwne@xxxxxxxxxx http://daviddillard.businesscard2.com Net-Gold http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold Index: http://tinyurl.com/myxb4w http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html http://groups.google.com/group/net-gold?hl=en General Internet & Print Resources http://guides.temple.edu/general-internet COUNTRIES http://guides.temple.edu/general-country-info EMPLOYMENT http://guides.temple.edu/EMPLOYMENT TOURISM http://guides.temple.edu/tourism DISABILITIES http://guides.temple.edu/DISABILITIES INDOOR GARDENING http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/ Educator-Gold http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Educator-Gold/ K12ADMINLIFE http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K12AdminLIFE/ THE COLLEGE LEARNING CENTER http://tinyurl.com/yae7w79 Nina Dillard's Photographs on Net-Gold http://tinyurl.com/36qd2o and also http://gallery.me.com/neemers1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/neemers/ Net-Gold Membership Required to View Photos Twitter: davidpdillard Bushell, R. & Sheldon, P. (eds), Wellness and Tourism: Mind, Body, Spirit, Place, New York: Cognizant Communication Books. Wellness Tourism: Bibliographic and Webliographic Essay David P. Dillard http://tinyurl.com/p63whl http://tinyurl.com/ou53aw INDOOR GARDENING Improve Your Chances for Indoor Gardening Success http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/ http://groups.google.com/group/indoor-gardening-and-urban-gardening SPORT-MED https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/sport-med.html http://groups.google.com/group/sport-med http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sports-med/ http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/sport-med.html HEALTH DIET FITNESS RECREATION SPORTS TOURISM http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/healthrecsport/ http://groups.google.com/group/healthrecsport http://healthrecsport.jiglu.com/ http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/health-recreation-sports-tourism.html . . Please Ignore All Links to JIGLU in search results for Net-Gold and related lists. The Net-Gold relationship with JIGLU has been terminated by JIGLU and these are dead links. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/30664 http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/healthrecsport/message/145 . .