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Optimizing Substance Abuse Treatment Through Multiple Omics

Substance use disorders (including illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and alcohol) is a critical concern in healthcare. In 2019, alcohol use disorder (AUD) affected over 100 million people, causing around 160,000 deaths, while opioid use disorder (OUD) impacted 21 million, leading to more than 88,000 deaths. While treatments are evolving, personalized treatments have yet to be developed.

Genes Involved in Substance Abuse

In addition to social and environmental factors, genes also play a significant role in addiction susceptibility, treatment response, and recovery outcomes. There are a number of genes that play a role in substance use disorders, including OPRM1, COMT, DRD2, UGT2B7, CYP2B6, and CYP2D6.

OPRM1: Certain variants in the OPRM1 gene have been linked to higher rates of alcohol and opioid addiction. Variants in this gene impact how sensitive someone is to opioids, including how they feel pain. Additionally, it may impact the release of dopamine, making the effects of alcohol feel more rewarding.

COMT: This is an enzyme that breaks down dopamine, and variants within the COMT gene have been linked to a higher likelihood of developing addictions. This may be because dopamine levels are cleared more quickly, reducing the effects of certain drugs.

DRD2 or dopamine receptor D2: Variants in this gene play a role in the reward pathways of the brain and have been linked to various substance use disorders as well as obesity.

UGT2B7: This gene is involved in drug metabolism and variants affect how efficiently the body processes certain drugs impacting the sensitivity to opioids as well as the severity of withdrawal symptoms.

CYP2B6: Single nucleotide polymorphisms in this gene alter drug metabolism which may play a role in adverse drug reactions and drug efficacy.

CYP2D6: This gene encodes the enzyme that metabolizes opioids and other commonly prescribed drugs. One’s metabolizer status (ultrarapid, intermediate, poor, etc) will affect their tolerability of opioid deprescription with ultra metabolizers showing the worst tolerability and greatest impact on quality of life.

Substance Abuse Treatment Options

Substance abuse affects millions of individuals worldwide, contributing to overdose deaths, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs. Unfortunately, many current treatment protocols fail to account for the unique genetic and environmental factors that contribute to addiction. This leads to suboptimal treatment results.

For example, treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) heavily rely on tools like the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS). While COWS scores are widely used to assess withdrawal symptoms, they often fail to capture the underlying biological factors that determine how an individual responds to treatment.

Relying on COWS scores paired with generic treatment pathways overlooks the complex genetic variations that influence addiction. Genes play pivotal roles in determining an individual's risk for addiction, withdrawal severity, and response to medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

At ScylexLab, we are trying to change the landscape of how this underrepresented population (those struggling with substance abuse) receives care. As we aim to focus on optimizing substance abuse treatment through a multifaceted, omics-based approach, we are excited to announce the early recruitment phase for our latest clinical trial.

Get Involved in Our Clinical Trial

The clinical trial uses a multi-faceted approach that integrates genomics, deep learning algorithms, and phenoconversion to develop more personalized substance abuse treatments. By analyzing an individual’s genes the trial seeks to create actionable insights that optimize care and improve outcomes for those with substance use disorders.

We invite you to participate in this groundbreaking research. Our early recruitment phase is open and we are seeking clinicians, addiction specialists, and researchers who are passionate about optimizing substance abuse treatment.

The trial-and-error dosing approach and reactive treatment based on severe withdrawal symptoms do a disservice to those struggling with substance abuse. By joining this initiative, you can be part of an effort that aims to revolutionize addiction treatment and help bring personalized care to a population that desperately needs it.

Get involved in this critical research by providing your contact information and noting that you’re interested in participating in our research. Together, we can advance the future of substance abuse treatment.