| Genes behind drug addiction tracked
Chinese scientists have found a way to track genes and biological pathways linked to drug addiction, unraveling potential ways to treat drug abuse and disorders.
"We have found 396 addiction-related genes and identified five pathways that are common to addiction to four different substances: cocaine, opium, nicotine and alcohol," the director of the center for bioinformatics of the life science college under Peking University, Wei Liping, told China Daily yesterday.
"The research provides a more complete picture of drug addiction, as genetic factors contribute to about 60 percent of the vulnerability to drug addiction," she said.
Wei said identifying common pathways meant that treatment targeting these pathways may be more effective for a wide range of addictive disorders.
Educators brainstorm how to curb drug abuse
Educators from 35 schools across the state gathered at a Keefe Tech conference yesterday to trade ideas on battling substance abuse among students. ``You'll always have drugs and alcohol in high school,'' said Bill Phillips, who oversees a statewide program based at Keefe Tech to help kids facing alcohol and drug addiction. That program - New Beginnings - has been presented to an estimated quarter-million students over the last two decades, and offers kids ways to fight drug abuse, violence prevention and halting other risky behavior. Phillips gets funding from a $200,000 grant and credits state Sen. Steven Tolman, D-Brighton, for his support. ``There are a lot of kids doing well,'' he said. ``But there are kids not doing well.'' During the conference, principals, coaches, social workers and other staffers reviewed ways to help kids facing drug and alcohol addiction.
Addiction genes can be tracked
NEW DELHI: Chinese scientists have devised a novel technique to identify genes and other biological pathways associated with drug addiction.
Their work attains significance as it may pave the way for potential ways to treat drug abuse and disorders.
"We have found 396 addiction-related genes and identified five pathways that are common to addiction to four different substances: cocaine, opium, nicotine and alcohol," the China Daily quoted Wei Liping, the director of the centre for bioinformatics of the life science college under Peking University, as saying.
"The research provides a more complete picture of drug addiction, as genetic factors contribute to about 60 per cent of the vulnerability to drug addiction," she said.
She said that tracking common pathways gives the hope that the effectiveness of therapies that target such pathways may be boosted to treat a wide range of addictive disorders.
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