Scientists at Scripps Research have successfully tested a potential new smoking-cessation treatment in rodents. In a study published online in Science Advances on Oct. 17, 2018, the scientists gave nicotine-dependent rats an engineered enzyme that breaks down nicotine in the bloodstream before it can reach the brain. Treatment quickly reduced the animals’…
Gene that influences nicotine dependence identified
A DNA variant — located in the DNMT3B gene and commonly found in people of European and African descent — increases the likelihood of developing nicotine dependence, smoking heavily, and developing lung cancer, according to a new study led by RTI International. Nearly 1 billion people smoke and 6 million…