SCIENTISTS have discovered a secret gene that makes carriers more resistant to smoking with the hope of one day offering new treatments for those who can not shake the habit.Â
People with a specific gene mutation called CHRNB3 smoke significantly less cigarettes a day than other smokers, according to a study published yesterday.
It has been found that the gene contains a protein that forms part of the receptor which nicotine goes through to act on the brain.
The scientists who made this discovery, Veera Rejagopa and Giovanni Coppola, analysed the habits of 38,000 Mexican smokers and found that those carrying the gene smoked 21% less than those without it. That equates to one less cigarette a day.
A small number carry two copies of the variant and, as a result, smoke approximately 78% less cigarettes daily.
This is thought to be due to the way that the gene mutation alters the protein structure but the details remain unclear.
Investigations were also carried out on other groups, of Asian and European heritage, and found that those implicated by the gene also smoked less, confirming that the CHRNB3 mutation is the causal gene.
Knowing this could lead to the creation of new treatments to help those who cannot find a way to shake their smoking habit.
By providing the ‘first direct human genetic evidence that loss of CHRNB3 function reduces cigarette consumption’, the study suggests that inhibiting the gene could help people to ‘reduce or quit smoking’. Specific treatment could also be targeted at receptors.
It is however ‘too early to confirm whether a treatment is possible and, if so, whether it would be effective or safe’.
These concerns are echoed by Miguel Barrueco, the former head of the Pulmonology Department at Salamanca Hospital, who finds the study ‘interesting’ but knows that there is more to investigate before a potential treatment could be developed.
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