LONDON, March 2 (UPI) -- British scientists said new research suggests drug addicts are genetically predetermined.
The University of Cambridge researchers said some people are predisposed to drug addiction because of their brain wiring, The Telegraph reported.
Their work, which appears in the journal Science, indicated addicts seem to be missing receptors for dopamine.
"This is important because much previous evidence in human cocaine addicts has likewise found reductions, but it was impossible to know whether these changes predate cocaine use or emerge as a consequence of such use," Dr. Jeff Dalley of the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute told The Telegraph. "The next step is identifying the gene or genes that cause this diminished supply of brain receptors."
He told the newspaper the research may lead to better treatment for drug addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and pathological gambling.
