TY - JOUR
T1 - Epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction
AU - Feng, Jian
AU - Nestler, Eric J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Preparation of this review was supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse .
PY - 2013/8
Y1 - 2013/8
N2 - Epigenetic regulation can mediate long-lasting changes in gene expression, which makes it an attractive mechanism for the stable behavioral abnormalities that characterize drug addiction. Recent research has unveiled numerous types of epigenetic modifications within the brain's reward circuitry in animal models of drug addiction. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in the field, focusing on histone modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs. We also highlight several areas for future research. Unraveling the highly complex epigenetic mechanisms of addiction is adding to our understanding of this syndrome and has the potential to trigger novel approaches for better diagnosis and therapy.
AB - Epigenetic regulation can mediate long-lasting changes in gene expression, which makes it an attractive mechanism for the stable behavioral abnormalities that characterize drug addiction. Recent research has unveiled numerous types of epigenetic modifications within the brain's reward circuitry in animal models of drug addiction. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in the field, focusing on histone modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs. We also highlight several areas for future research. Unraveling the highly complex epigenetic mechanisms of addiction is adding to our understanding of this syndrome and has the potential to trigger novel approaches for better diagnosis and therapy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881026418&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.conb.2013.01.001
DO - 10.1016/j.conb.2013.01.001
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84881026418
SN - 0959-4388
VL - 23
SP - 521
EP - 528
JO - Current Opinion in Neurobiology
JF - Current Opinion in Neurobiology
IS - 4
ER -