A new study finds that people with a particular version of a gene involved in the brain's reward system are more likely to succeed in quitting smoking. Compared with people who have other versions of this gene, those with the lucky DNA were more likely to abstain from cigarettes.
The benefits of this genetic variant could be confirmed only for people of Caucasian descent, researchers reported Tuesday in the journal Translational Psychiatry. Smokers with East Asian ancestry were just as likely to quit, or not, with any of the three versions of the gene.
The study authors didn't have enough data on black or Latino smokers to say whether the gene variant had any effect on their ability to quit smoking.
The gene in question is known as ANKK1. It happens to be right next to the DRD2 gene, which helps the brain recognize dopamine, the chemical that's produced in the brain to reinforce useful behaviors like eating and having sex. Addictive drugs, including nicotine, also cause dopamine levels to spike.
One small piece of the ANKK1 gene called Taq1A seems to influence the function of DRD2. People inherit either an A1 or A2 version of this gene fragment from each of their parents. That means there are three possible genotypes: two A1s, two A2s or one of each.
When it comes to quitting smoking, the helpful type is A2/A2. Compared with Caucasians with one or two A1s, those with two A2s had better odds of kicking the habit. Exactly how much better their odds were is not clear.
As it happens, A2/A2 was the most common genotype among Caucasians who were included in the analysis - 62.5 percent of them had it. Among Asians, that figure was only 39.1 percent. The researchers didn't say how many blacks or Latinos had the A2/A2 version of the gene.
The findings could help researchers develop smoking cessation drugs that could be tailored to people based on their genetic profile, the researchers wrote.
http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v5/n12/full/tp2015176a.html
Edited
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