PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsGene link to smoking behaviour

BioNews

Gene link to smoking behaviour

Published 9 June 2009 posted in News and appears in BioNews 343

Author

BioNews

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.

Japanese researchers have found that the number of cigarettes a smoker gets through could be influenced by genetic variations that affect the way the body deals with nicotine. The findings, to be published in the European Respiratory Journal, suggest that the more quickly people break down nicotine, the more cigarettes...

Japanese researchers have found that the number of cigarettes a smoker gets through could be influenced by genetic variations that affect the way the body deals with nicotine. The findings, to be published in the European Respiratory Journal, suggest that the more quickly people break down nicotine, the more cigarettes they tend to smoke. The scientists, based at Keio University in Tokyo, studied different versions of the CYP2A6 gene, which makes a key liver protein.


The team studied 200 Japanese smokers aged 50 or over who had smoked at least one pack of cigarettes daily for ten years. They found that people who smoked least were more likely to have one of three different versions of CYP2A6, all of which make a less active version of the protein. The researchers think that people with these variants have high levels of nicotine in their blood for longer after smoking a cigarette, thus reducing the need for another.


In contrast, people with a different version of CYP2A6 get rid of nicotine more quickly, and so need to light up more frequently. The scientists found that participants who had inherited two copies of this gene variant (one from each parent) were the heaviest smokers, getting through around two packs a day. The team say their findings could help improve nicotine replacement therapies that aim to help people stop smoking, by tailoring the programme to a person's genetic make-up.


Another recent study, carried out by scientists based at the University of Toronto, confirms that different versions of the CYP2A6 gene affect the nicotine levels people receive when using nicotine patches. The findings, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, suggest that people with the more 'active' form of the gene will need more patches to succeed. 'If you can identify an individual who metabolises nicotine faster you can treat them more effectively', US expert Sharon Murphy told New Scientist magazine. 'Even two to three patches is way better than the cigarettes', she added.

Related Articles

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
13 March 2013 • 2 minutes read

Gene therapy 'immunisation' against nicotine successful in mice

by Dr Linda Wijlaars

A gene that codes for nicotine antibodies has been successful in immunising mice against the drug's effects. But although the treatment appears to work in mice, any 'smoking vaccine' is still a long way off...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
30 April 2010 • 2 minutes read

Genes may affect smoking addiction

by Harriet Vickers

Scientists have identified a number of genetic mutations that appear to be associated with the number of cigarettes people smoke a day, the chance of taking up smoking, and the ability of being able to quit smoking...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 1 minute read

Gene clue to nicotine addiction in teens

by BioNews

People who are slower to clear nicotine from their bodies are more likely to become addicted to cigarettes, a Canadian study shows. Scientists at McGill University, Montreal, looked at a group of teenagers who had recently started smoking. They found that those with a genetic variation that slows down the...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 1 minute read

Genetic test to help smokers quit launched

by BioNews

A UK company has launched a new DNA test that it claims can help smokers kick the habit, by tailoring treatment to their genetic make-up. The 'NicoTest', developed by Oxford University-based firm G-Nostics, identifies people who are most likely to benefit from nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs). The £95 test is...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 1 minute read

Gene clue to nicotine addiction

by BioNews

The identification of a single brain protein that controls nicotine addiction could pave the way for new drugs to help people give up smoking, US researchers say. Scientists at the California Institute of Technology bred mice with an altered version of a single gene, which makes the animals hypersensitive to...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 1 minute read

Genes may affect nicotine patch success

by BioNews

Women smokers with a particular genetic variation are more likely to benefit from nicotine patches when trying to quit than others, a new UK study suggests. Researchers at the University of Oxford studied 445 women and 307 men who had been heavy smokers, who were given either nicotine or control...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Potential pesticide threat to male fertility

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

First UK medical guidelines issued for trans fertility preservation

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Male age has more impact on IVF birth rate than previously thought

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Call to end ban on HIV-positive partner gamete 'donation'

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Melanoma invades new tissues using nerve cell gene

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Exceeding alcohol limits could damage DNA and accelerate ageing

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Blood cell gene mutations affect mitochondria, increasing cardiovascular disease risk

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Jumping gene helps immune system fight viruses

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856