Substance dependence: distinct transcriptomic patterns and neuroimmune system involvement in addiction pathogenesis and progression
- 1Federal State Budgetary Institution “Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (Centre for Strategic Planning, of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency)
- 2Federal State Budgetary Institution “V. Serbsky Federal Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
- 3The Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA of Russia)
Abstract
Background: It is well-established that consistent exposure to psychoactive substances can alter gene expression within the brain’s reward and motivation centers. These lasting changes in neuronal gene expression, including those driven by transcriptional mechanisms, can lead to a persistent craving for these substances, resulting in a definitive loss of behavioral control over consumption. Examining transcriptome alterations in individuals with established addiction may provide valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying addiction; however, research remains limited. Utilizing peripheral blood samples rather than solely postmortem brain tissues to evaluate gene expression changes may offer significant clinical benefits.
Materials and methods: We examined data from a cohort of patients addicted to alcohol and other psychoactive substances, including their drug use histories, psychometric status, and personality traits. We performed differential gene expression analysis to identify general and addiction-specific changes in peripheral blood transcriptomes in participants with different types of addiction.
Results: We detected patterns of expression changes in peripheral blood characteristic of addictions to psychoactive substances. Some of the changes were reflective of the overall pathological processes occurring in individuals with chronic substance use disorders. However, other changes, such as the hyperexpression of genes and dysregulation of functional pathways associated with the immune-inflammatory responses, may be indicative of the development of neuroinflammation and may illuminate its role in addiction development.
Conclusion: Changes in specific RNA levels could explain pathological processes occurring during chronic substance use. The identified candidate molecular markers of addiction in peripheral blood could contribute to enhanced diagnostic capabilities and facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies. However, these peripheral blood findings lack functional or causal verification, representing candidate transcriptomic associations rather than confirmed molecular markers.
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BibTeX
@article{yakovchik2026substance,
title = {{Substance dependence: distinct transcriptomic patterns and neuroimmune system involvement in addiction pathogenesis and progression}},
author = {Anna Yakovchik and Ekaterina Spektor and Aleksandra Mamchur and Еlena Zelenova and Mikhail Ivanov and Daria Kashtanova and Lorena Matkava and Mikhail Terekhov and Daria Tarasova and Vasilisa Petrova and Konstantin Pavlov and Olga Pavlova and Kira Nebogina and Konstantin Vyshinsky and Aleksander Kozlov and Svetlana Shport and Vladimir Yudin and Аnton Keskinov and Sergey Yudin and Veronika Skvortsova},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1904587},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1904587/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Substance dependence: distinct transcriptomic patterns and neuroimmune system involvement in addiction pathogenesis and progression
AU - Anna Yakovchik
AU - Ekaterina Spektor
AU - Aleksandra Mamchur
AU - Еlena Zelenova
AU - Mikhail Ivanov
AU - Daria Kashtanova
AU - Lorena Matkava
AU - Mikhail Terekhov
AU - Daria Tarasova
AU - Vasilisa Petrova
AU - Konstantin Pavlov
AU - Olga Pavlova
AU - Kira Nebogina
AU - Konstantin Vyshinsky
AU - Aleksander Kozlov
AU - Svetlana Shport
AU - Vladimir Yudin
AU - Аnton Keskinov
AU - Sergey Yudin
AU - Veronika Skvortsova
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1904587
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1904587/full
AB - Background: It is well-established that consistent exposure to psychoactive substances can alter gene expression within the brain’s reward and motivation centers. These lasting changes in neuronal gene expression, including those driven by transcriptional mechanisms, can lead to a persistent craving for these substances, resulting in a definitive loss of behavioral control over consumption. Examining transcriptome alterations in individuals with established addiction may provide valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying addiction; however, research remains limited. Utilizing peripheral blood samples rather than solely postmortem brain tissues to evaluate gene expression changes may offer significant clinical benefits. Materials and methods: We examined data from a cohort of patients addicted to alcohol and other psychoactive substances, including their drug use histories, psychometric status, and personality traits. We performed differential gene expression analysis to identify general and addiction-specific changes in peripheral blood transcriptomes in participants with different types of addiction. Results: We detected patterns of expression changes in peripheral blood characteristic of addictions to psychoactive substances. Some of the changes were reflective of the overall pathological processes occurring in individuals with chronic substance use disorders. However, other changes, such as the hyperexpression of genes and dysregulation of functional pathways associated with the immune-inflammatory responses, may be indicative of the development of neuroinflammation and may illuminate its role in addiction development. Conclusion: Changes in specific RNA levels could explain pathological processes occurring during chronic substance use. The identified candidate molecular markers of addiction in peripheral blood could contribute to enhanced diagnostic capabilities and facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies. However, these peripheral blood findings lack functional or causal verification, representing candidate transcriptomic associations rather than confirmed molecular markers.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -