Noelia Fernández Castillo; Bru Cormand
1) Identify the genetic factors involved in addiction to different drugs of abuse as well as food addiction.
2) Uncover the alterations in gene expression and epigenetic mechanisms (microRNAs and methylation) underlying the modifications in the brain that are involved in the transition to addiction, using human samples and cellular and animal models.
3) Understand the co-occurrence of addictions and aggressive behaviour, as well as other related behavioural traits such as risk-taking or impulsivity by investigating the shared genetic risk factors between them.
Here are some of our recent publications on this topic:
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Fernàndez-Castillo N, Cabana-Domínguez J, Corominas R, Cormand B. Molecular genetics of cocaine use disorders in humans. Mol Psychiatry. 2022 Jan;27(1):624-639. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01256-1. Epub 2021 Aug 27. PMID: 34453125; PMCID: PMC8960411.
Domingo-Rodriguez L, Cabana-Domínguez J, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Cormand B, Martín-García E, Maldonado R. Differential expression of miR-1249-3p and miR-34b-5p between vulnerable and resilient phenotypes of cocaine addiction. Addict Biol. 2022 Sep;27(5):e13201. doi: 10.1111/adb.13201. PMID: 36001423; PMCID: PMC9286869.
García-Blanco A, Domingo-Rodriguez L, Cabana-Domínguez J, Fernández-Castillo N, Pineda-Cirera L, Mayneris-Perxachs J, Burokas A, Espinosa-Carrasco J, Arboleya S, Latorre J, Stanton C, Cormand B, Fernández-Real JM, Martín-García E, Maldonado R. miRNA signatures associated with vulnerability to food addiction in mice and humans. J Clin Invest. 2022 May 16;132(10):e156281. doi: 10.1172/JCI156281. PMID: 35349487; PMCID: PMC9106358.
Cabana-Domínguez J, Martín-García E, Gallego-Roman A, Maldonado R, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Cormand B. Reduced cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in Plcb1 +/- mice. Transl Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 11;11(1):521. doi: 10.1038/s41398-021-01396-6. PMID: 34635637; PMCID: PMC8505421.
Vaht M, Laas K, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Kurrikoff T, Kanarik M, Faraone SV, Tooding LM, Veidebaum T, Franke B, Reif A, Cormand B, Harro J. Variants of the Aggression-Related RBFOX1 Gene in a Population Representative Birth Cohort Study: Aggressiveness, Personality, and Alcohol Use Disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2020 Nov 24;11:501847. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.501847. PMID: 33329073; PMCID: PMC7732512.
Pineda-Cirera L, Cabana-Domínguez J, Grau-López L, Daigre C, Sánchez-Mora C, Palma-Álvarez RF, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Ribasés M, Cormand B, Fernàndez-Castillo N. Exploring allele specific methylation in drug dependence susceptibility. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Apr;136:474-482. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.044. Epub 2020 Aug 2. PMID: 32917399.
Cabana-Domínguez J, Shivalikanjli A, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Cormand B. Genome-wide association meta-analysis of cocaine dependence: Shared genetics with comorbid conditions. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Aug 30;94:109667. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109667. Epub 2019 Jun 15. PMID: 31212010.
Arcos-Burgos M, Vélez JI, Martinez AF, Ribasés M, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Sánchez-Mora C, Richarte V, Roncero C, Cormand B, Fernández-Castillo N, Casas M, Lopera F, Pineda DA, Palacio JD, Acosta-López JE, Cervantes-Henriquez ML, Sánchez-Rojas MG, Puentes-Rozo PJ, Molina BSG; MTA Cooperative Group; Boden MT, Wallis D, Lidbury B, Newman S, Easteal S, Swanson J, Patel H, Volkow N, Acosta MT, Castellanos FX, de Leon J, Mastronardi CA, Muenke M. ADGRL3 (LPHN3) variants predict substance use disorder. Transl Psychiatry. 2019 Jan 29;9(1):42. doi: 10.1038/s41398-019-0396-7. PMID: 30696812; PMCID: PMC6351584.
Cabana-Domínguez J, Arenas C, Cormand B, Fernàndez-Castillo N. MiR-9, miR-153 and miR-124 are down-regulated by acute exposure to cocaine in a dopaminergic cell model and may contribute to cocaine dependence. Transl Psychiatry. 2018 Aug 30;8(1):173. doi: 10.1038/s41398-018-0224-5. PMID: 30166527; PMCID: PMC6117282.