Study Reveals How Drug Abstinence Changes Gene Expression, Making Relapse More Likely

A new preclinical study by UB researchers investigated how drug abstinence changes gene expression. The research reveals the genetic basis of relapse, one of the most detrimental but poorly understood behaviors related to addiction. “The novelty of our current paper is that it begins to reveal what happens on a cellular basis, what genes are turned on and off during a prolonged period of abstinence,” says David Dietz, PhD, a senior author of the study and associate professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.