OU researcher discovers addiction gene mutation

OU College of Medicine researcher William R. Lovallo, Ph.D., recently published a study that showed that a tiny genetic mutation can put people at higher risk for alcohol or drug addiction. His research was published in the world's leading journal on alcoholism, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Lovallo's research zeroes in on a specific gene and how it responds to a person's environment.

Lovallo's research focused on a small mutation of the gene named COMT, which helps the body manage dopamine, a chemical that is released when a person drinks alcohol or takes a drug like amphetamine.

What he discovered demonstrates the interplay between a person's genetic makeup and adversity during childhood.

People with this mutation of the COMT gene are more vulnerable to the effects of stress in their early lives, such as divorce or emotionally distant parents.

That heightened vulnerability often leads to consumption of alcohol and drugs younger than age 15, which is one of the biggest independent predictors of addiction.

“Early-life adversity doesn't make everyone an alcoholic,” Lovallo said. “But this study showed that people with this genetic mutation are going to have a higher risk for addiction when they had a stressful life growing up.”

Because the COMT gene is involved with how well dopamine works in the brain, the behavior of the genetic mutation is especially revealing.

“This one random mutation makes a difference in how the COMT gene works fine in one person but not as well in another person,” Lovallo said. “There is no such thing as a gene for addiction, but there are genes that respond to our environment in ways that put us at risk. You have to have the right combination to develop the risk factors.”