Gene testing may help treatment of opioid-dependent African Americans

NEW HAVEN >> An opioid addict’s genes may help make treatment for African Americans more accurate, according to Yale research.

The variant gene helps in determining the dose of methadone that should be prescribed. The proper dose of methadone, the most effective treatment for those addicted to heroin and other opioids, such as prescription painkillers, can vary widely among dependent individuals, according to a press release. If a dose is too high, it can have a sedative effect. If it is too low, there is a danger of relapsing.

“We found specific gene effects in people with African ancestry, an understudied population,” said the paper’s senior author, Dr. Joel Gelernter, professor of psychiatry, genetics and neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine. The gene variant was not found among people of European descent, according to the release.

The researchers said the genetic variant is located next to the gene OPRM1, which is associated with the opioid receptors in the brain. The variant may be a biomarker that could help determine how much methadone should be prescribed, the release said.

“Opioid addiction has become a national epidemic, and improving the effectiveness of medical therapies has to be a priority,” said Andrew H. Smith, a medical student and lead author of the study.

The state medical examiner’s office projected almost 900 accidental overdoses from heroin, fentanyl and other opioids in 2016, up from 357 in 2012.

More research is needed to better understand the gene and to confirm the results of their study, the authors said.

The results of the study were published Tuesday in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

“Opioid addiction has become a national epidemic, and improving the effectiveness of medical therapies has to be a priority.” — Andrew H. Smith, a medical student and lead author of the study