Saturday, June 6, 2009

The HappyHour Gene - Implications for drinkers

This is an interesting read. University of California, San Francisco scientists have discovered the 'HappyHour' gene, a newly identified gene that makes fruit flies sensitive to booze. This means that drugs that mimic the effects of the gene may offer a new treatment against alcohol abuse. In this NewScientist article, 'Happyhour' gene may help put boozers off their drink, folks say, "People who are very sensitive to alcohol tend to drink less – that's the person who gets drunk on one glass of wine," and "The person who can drink everybody under the table – that's the person who is more likely to become an alcoholic." "Theoretically, a medication that increases the sensitivity to alcohol – that you need to drink less of to get an effect – might be protective," Heberlein says. Read Heberlein's findings in, Cell (DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.04.018) - or the Research Abstract



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From SkillsPlus International Inc.