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Gene variants predict treatment success for alcoholism medication – 1
Narrator: This is NIH Health Matters. I’m Joe Balintfy. An anti-nausea drug usually prescribed to cancer patients is being tested as an alcoholism treatment. Dr. Raye Litten of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says, its effectiveness depends on the genetic make up of the people who receive it.
Litten: This was a state of the art design, studying the effects of a drug called ondansetron.
Narrator: Ondansetron is most commonly used to treat nausea and vomiting following chemotherapy. It works by blocking receptors for the brain chemical, serotonin. Changes in serotonin levels can alter moods, including the rewarding effects of alcohol. For details on the study and its results, visit www.niaaa.nih.gov. Health Matters is produced by the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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