Addiction, and abuse of addictive substances, fundamentally alters how the brain's reward pathway functions, causing altered behavior and lifestyle defining an "addict". However, the epigenetic mechanisms of how this occurs on a cellular/molecular level are incompletely characterized and understood. A recent paper by Hamilton and Nestler shows that epigenetic modifications, specifically histone modifications, are associated with addictive behavior. They also discuss neuroepigenetic editing as a means to identify the causal mechanisms that drive an addicted state. Altogether this research should help scientist understand what causes and defines an addictive state, as well as potentially providing useful therapies for recovering addicts.
Ryan McRae Potluck 3/31/20
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