Progress in research of epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug use and persistence of drug craving. Drug abuse can lead to changes in the neuron structure and function of plasticity,alterations in molecules and cells,and ultimately to individual abnormal behavior. Current studies have found that epigenetic changes leading to the sustainability of gene expression is an important mechanism of drug addiction. In this review,we will systematically summarize the latest advances in epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction. This review is expected to provide robust evidence that repeated exposure to drugs of abuse induces changes within the brain′s reward regions in three major modes of epigenetic regulation-histone modifications such as acetylation and methylation , DNA methylation,and non-coding RNAs. It promises a new perspective from which to gain insights into the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction and a new area for epigenetic research on clinical drug addiction treatment.