Joy of Smoking Begins in the Genes

People who catch a buzz off their first cigarette are more likely to develop an addiction to nicotine, than are people who do not feel any sense of pleasure from the experience, according to a new study conducted at the University of Michigan (UM) Medical School. Habitual smokers report a buzz from their first cigarette eight times more often than nonsmokers who’ve tried cigarettes.

The buzz is caused by a genetic variation common in regular smokers that is becoming the object of an increasing body of evidence linking nicotine addiction to this specific genetic variant.

The UM study, led by Ovide Pomerleau, a psychiatry professor and founder of the university’s Nicotine Research Laboratory, gathered data from 435 volunteer study participants. Some of the volunteers were classified as nonsmokers, meaning they smoked no more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetimes, and the remainder were regular smokers, consuming at least five cigarettes a day for at least five years.

The smokers had a much greater rate of specific genetic variation in the CHRNA5 nicotine receptor gene, associated with nicotine addiction, than the nonsmokers. The research team suggests awareness of the gene variation may someday present a means of identifying the risk of addiction before smoking begins and may lead to preventive or treatment options that target those affected.

The research team further suggests the genetic variation that makes smoking attractive enough to lead to addiction may also play a role in altering lung cells in such a way that makes them more likely to develop cancerous tumors. More knowledge involving the genetic variation may prove instrumental in future lung cancer treatments or preventive measures.

The journal, Addiction, carries the full details of the Pomerleau study. Pomerleau and one of his research colleagues are members of Pfizer, Inc., advisory boards for pharmaceuticals being developed for the treatment of nicotine addiction. Two members of the research team are patent holders for a procedure that involves the CHRNA5 gene. Perlegen Sciences has licensed their patents.

Source: University of Michigan

Filed under: Cancer, Genetics, Lung Cancer, Medical Research, Smoking