science top stories popular news  

Daily non-political popular news in brief.

Studies identify DNA regions linked to nicotine dependence

02-14-2007 · EurekAlert!

Genetic factors play an important role in cigarette addiction, suggest scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. They show that certain genetic variations can influence smoking behaviors and contribute to a person's risk for nicotine dependence.

Read more »

Keywords: studies, identify, dna, regions, linked, nicotine, dependence, study, region

« Previous | Next »

Similar news on "Studies identify DNA regions linked to nicotine dependence":

  1. Reduced frontal-lobe activity and impulsivity may be linked to alcoholism risk
    01-03-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Increased impulsivity, or a lack of impulse control, is a key characteristic of many psychiatric disorders, including alcohol dependence. Recent studies suggest that increased impulsivity is involved in a predisposition to developing these disorders. A new study of brain processes provides support for this theory.
    Similar news · Read more »
  2. UCLA scientists identify new genetic link to autism
    01-10-2008 · EurekAlert!
    UCLA scientists used language onset -- the age when a child speaks his first word -- as a tool for identifying a new gene linked to autism. The team also discovered that the gene is most active in developing brain regions involved with language and thought. Interestingly, evidence for the genetic link came from the DNA of families with autistic boys, not those with autistic girls.
    Similar news · Read more »
  3. Study finds regions of DNA that appear linked to autistic spectrum disorders
    05-09-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Using an innovative statistical approach, a research team from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of California, Los Angeles, has identified two regions of DNA linked to autism. They found the suspicious DNA with a much smaller sample of people than has been used traditionally in searches for autism genes.
    Similar news · Read more »
  4. New neuroimaging study identifies 'brain signature' for cigarette cravings
    12-18-2007 · EurekAlert!
    A new brain imaging study by researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania shows that cigarette cravings in smokers who are deprived of nicotine are linked with increased activation in specific regions of the brain. Using a novel method of measuring brain blood flow developed at Penn, this study is the first to show how abstinence from nicotine produces brain activation patterns that relate to urges to smoke.
    Similar news · Read more »
  5. Scientists identify gene that influences alcohol consumption
    12-05-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Researchers applied a variety of genetic and analytic techniques to mice having nearly identical genetic background, but differing in their preference for alcohol, to identify a chromosomal region, and ultimately a gene, associated with alcohol preference. If further studies show that a similar gene is relevant to alcohol problems in humans, the finding may lead to new opportunities for developing drugs to treat alcohol dependence.
    Similar news · Read more »
  6. Newly discovered virus linked to deadly skin cancer
    01-17-2008 · EurekAlert!
    Painstaking screening of DNA sequencing data has revealed a previously unknown virus that appears to be strongly associated with a rare but deadly skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute report in this week's issue of the journal Science. In the paper, the researchers, who found the cause of Kaposi's sarcoma, also describe a nearly decade-long effort to harness the sequencing technology to identify Merkel cell polyomavirus.
    Similar news · Read more »
  7. Gene's activity points to more lethal subtype of AML
    07-09-2007 · EurekAlert!
    A new study shows that the activity of a particular gene can identify people who have a more lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia, singling out those patients who should receive more intense therapy. The gene, called ERG (for ETS-related gene), has also been linked to chronic leukemia and to breast and prostate cancer.
    Similar news · Read more »
  8. Pleasure and pain: Study shows brain's 'pleasure chemical' is involved in response to pain too
    10-18-2006 · EurekAlert!
    For years, the brain chemical dopamine has been thought of as the brain's "pleasure chemical," and studies have linked the addictive properties of drugs like cocaine to their effects on the dopamine system. But now, a new study adds a new twist to dopamine's fun-loving reputation: pain.
    Similar news · Read more »
  9. Deal or no deal? Need for immediate reward linked to more active brain region
    12-19-2006 · EurekAlert!
    How people might play the popular game show -- whether they'd accept an offer for quick cash or hold out for the chance to win $1 million -- probably has less to do with what’s inside each briefcase than what's inside each contestant's brain, suggests a study. While researchers didn't study players of the game, their research in normal adults provides new insight about reward-based decision making and may have implications for understanding and treating addiction.
    Similar news · Read more »
  10. Study suggests nicotine addiction might be controlled by influencing brain mechanisms
    12-08-2007 · EurekAlert!
    There is a clear link between GABA -- a chemical substance of the central nervous system that inhibits neurons in the brain -- and nicotine dependence, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting. Researchers discovered that nicotine has significant effects on brain GABA, a finding which could potentially help curb the pleasurable effects of nicotine and help people break their addiction to it.
    Similar news · Read more »