Alcohol Res Health. 2000;24(1):17-26.
A sizable minority of the population abuses alcohol. Research has found that some vulnerability to developing alcohol-related problems is conveyed genetically, and animal research has indicated that inheritance can take many forms. Studies in mice have demonstrated that various individual genes or groups of genes can shape very distinct responses to alcohol. By identifying the proteins these genes encode and the mechanisms by which the genes influence an animal's biochemical response to alcohol, scientists can gain insight into the features of human alcoholism and provide a basis for developing pharmaceuticals that short-circuit these genetically defined processes.
相当一部分人口存在酗酒问题。研究发现,在发展与酒精相关问题方面的某些易感性是由基因传递的,而动物研究表明遗传可以有多种形式。对小鼠的研究表明,各种单个基因或基因组合可以塑造对酒精非常不同的反应。通过识别这些基因编码的蛋白质以及这些基因影响动物对酒精生化反应的机制,科学家可以深入了解人类酗酒的特征,并为开发能够绕过这些基因定义过程的药物提供依据。