A group of American scientists from the University of Texas (Dallas) made a statement that they could find a gene that is responsible for the development of alcohol addiction.
During the study, they were able to establish that rodents, like humans, have the KLB gene, which is responsible for the development of alcoholism. The specificity of this gene was announced by Dr. Stephen Cleaver.
The KLB gene helps regulate not only alcohol addiction, but also determines the amount of alcohol that a person can drink. Scientists made such a conclusion after they studied small mutations in special genes in more than 100 thousand volunteers.
Experts have conducted several studies on laboratory rodents. As part of the experiment, they turned off the KLB gene in several rodents, as it turned out, these rodents were more likely to adapt to alcohol, in contrast to those for whom this gene worked. Otherwise, their behavior has not changed.
According to scientists, changes in the KLB gene is the reason that a person may be exposed to the development of alcohol dependence. Scientists intend to further study this gene. They believe that if they manage to influence him, it will provide an opportunity to create an effective way to treat alcoholism.