University researchers have found a way to treat alcohol-addicted individuals, reducing their dependence on alcohol with a drug specifically tailored to their genetic profiles.
Study participants aged 19 to 65 identified as alcoholics received standard cognitive behavioral therapy, then received either a placebo or a drug called ondanestron for 11 weeks. Ondansetron can be used to target genes related to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, sleep, memory and some social behaviors. Research has shown that serotonin controls the rewarding effects of alcohol as well, and ondansetron negates these effects.
The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, will be published in the March issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry and is available online.
Nearly 70 percent remained in the study throughout. At the end of the 11 weeks, participants given ondansetron consumed a lower mean number of drinks per day and reported having a higher percentage of days abstinent from drinking than those who received the placebo, said Bankole Johnson, the leader of the study and chair of the psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences department.
Johnson said the drug will undergo pharmacological trials and researchers will conduct further trials.
"The University has patents and the treatment will be sold eventually," Johnson said.
Students at the University afflicted by alcoholism, researchers said, may one day benefit from the findings of the study.
"The research is certainly applicable to students who may be addicted," said Susan Bruce, director of the University Center for Alcohol and Substance Education, pointing out that college-age individuals participated in the study. "The comprehensive strategy of CASE is to work to get appropriate treatment so that students stay on track and graduate."
Although there are very few personalized studies in medicine, Johnson said personalized treatment based on genotype is where the future of medicine lies.
"If you get sick, you want a drug that is right for you," Johnson said.
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