As we are beginning to understand some of the genetic factors that alter our individual vulnerability to dependence, the future of genetic studies has the potential to personalize our treatment for addiction. We have unequivocal evidence of genetic variation that contributes to the development of this behavioral disorder. Addiction represents a great success in psychiatric genetics. The strongest specific genetic contributors to dependence are related to the pharmacologic responses to nicotine and alcohol and include variation in nicotinic receptor genes, nicotine metabolizing genes, and alcohol metabolizing genes.
