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Cited by 55Genetic Associations and EpidemiologySubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Genetics of Addiction: Future Focus on Gene × Environment Interaction?

Vink, Jacqueline M.·2016·Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
DOI 10.15288/jsad.2016.77.684
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Abstract

The heritability of substance use is moderate to high. Successful efforts to find genetic variants associated with substance use (smoking, alcohol, cannabis) have been undertaken by large consortia. However, the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the identified genetic variants is small. Interestingly, there is overlap between the genetic variants that influence different substances. Moreover, there are sets of "substance-specific" genes and sets of genes contributing to a "vulnerability for addictive behavior" in general. It is important to recognize that genes alone do not determine addiction phenotypes: Environmental factors such as parental monitoring, peer pressure, or socioeconomic status also play an important role. Despite a rich epidemiologic literature focused on the social determinants of substance use, few studies have examined the moderation of genetic influences like gene-environment (G × E) interactions. Understanding this balance may hold the key to understanding the individual differences in substance use, abuse, and addictive behavior. Recommendations for future research are described in this commentary and include increasing the power of G × E studies by using state-of-the-art methods such as polygenic risk scores instead of single genetic variants and taking genetic overlap between substances into account. Future genetic studies should also investigate environmental risk factors for addictive behavior more extensively to unravel the interaction between nature and nurture. Focusing on G × E interactions not only will give insight into the underlying biological mechanism but will also characterize subgroups (based on environmental factors) at high risk for addictive behaviors. With this information, we could bridge the gap between fundamental research and applications for society.

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  • Multiple gene variants may interact to influence risk for addiction to different drugs, including genes involved in drug metabolism, dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, and brain development.

    “There are multiple gene variants that may interact to influence risk for addiction to different drugs, includ ing genes involved in the metabolism of drugs, in dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, in neuroplasticity, and in brain development 92 .”

    From Substance use disorders: a comprehensive update of classification, epidemiology, neurobiology, clinical aspects, treatment and prevention (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

    On p. 2, the paper links genetic variants to smoking, alcohol, and cannabis use and describes both substance-specific and shared genetic vulnerability. It identifies drug-metabolizing genes (p. 2) and discusses dopaminergic genes (p. 3), but our copy does not identify glutamatergic neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, or brain-development genes in this context. Its discussion of interactions concerns genes and environmental factors, not interactions among multiple gene variants. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Genetic factors have been estimated to account for about 50% of overall addiction risk.

    “Genetic factors have been estimated to account for about 50% of overall addiction risk.”

    From Substance use disorders: a comprehensive update of classification, epidemiology, neurobiology, clinical aspects, treatment and prevention (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

    On p. 2, the paper says twin studies show that addictive behavior is heritable and describes substance-use heritability as moderate to high. It does not give an estimate of about 50% for overall addiction risk; it discusses heritability across different addiction-related traits rather than a single overall figure. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Vink, J. M.
Affiliations
Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
Corresponding author
Vink, Jacqueline M.
ORCID
Vink, Jacqueline M.
Venue
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Publisher
Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc.
Published
2016-09
Volume
77
Issue
5
Pages
684-687
ISSN
  • 1937-1888 (ISSN-L)
  • 1938-4114
DOI
10.15288/jsad.2016.77.684
OpenAlex
W2514782766
Cited by
55
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1
FWCI
4.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
addiction genetics, gene-environment interaction, polygenic risk score, smoking, alcohol consumption, cannabis use, parental supervision, peer pressure, socioeconomic status
MeSH terms
Forecasting, Humans, Phenotype, Risk Factors, Smoking, Genetic Variation, Behavior, Addictive, Substance-Related Disorders, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Gene-Environment Interaction

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