Personalized Medicine of Alcohol Addiction: Pharmacogenomics and Beyond

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

E-ISSN: 1873-4316|18|3|221-230

ISSN: 1389-2010

Source: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Vol.18, Iss.3, 2017-04, pp. : 221-230

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Abstract

Alcohol addiction or alcoholism is the most severe form of problem drinking. A variety oftreatment methods for alcoholism are currently available that combine medications, behavioral treatmentand peer support. The drugs that are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) for treatment of alcohol dependence are disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate. For manypatients, however, these treatments are not effective. Evidence from a number of studies suggests thatvarious factors, both psychosocial and economic, as well as genetic variation, are significant contributorsto interindividual variation both of clinical presentation of alcohol problems and response to agiven treatment. The aim of the present review is to summarize and discuss different aspects of personalizedmedicine of alcohol addiction. We focus on pharmacogenomics and beyond, to include thegenetics and epigenetics of alcohol addiction as well as other psychosocial and even economic factorsthat may affect response to alcohol addiction pharmacotherapy. It is anticipated that, within the next5-10 years, personalized medicine of alcohol addiction will be a reality and it will help reduce the burdenof alcoholism from society and increase the well-being and productivity of individuals addicted toalcohol.

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