Epigenetics of Addiction

Substance use disorders are biopsychosocial illnesses that have substantial negative neurocognitive impact. These diseases that involve the compulsive abuse of licit or illicit substances despite adverse medicolegal consequences are probably secondary to long-lasting epigenetic and transcriptional adaptations in brain reward and non-reward circuits. Present evidence supports the notion that drug abuse is associated with changes in post-translational histone modifications and DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation in several brain regions. Herein we provide an overview of some epigenetic changes reported in models of cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioid use disorders. The accumulated data suggest that future therapeutic interventions should focus on the development of epigenetic drugs against addictive diseases.