Genome-wide Molecular Mechanisms of Substance Use Disorders

  • 3,422

    Total downloads

  • 10k

    Total views and downloads

Submit your idea

Select the journal/section where you want your idea to be submitted:

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a significant clinical and social problem. In the United States, recent decades have been marked by an increasing prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). ~14% of adults currently meet the criteria for AUD, and ~29% had met AUD criteria at least once during their lifetime. The annual cost of AUD and alcohol-related disorders is approximately $250 billion, and the prevalence of AUD continues to rise. Similarly, the prevalence of OUD in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, with the costs exceeding $1 trillion.

Despite such a socioeconomic burden, current pharmacological options for SUDs remain relatively inefficient. Thus, AUD is treated with either disulfiram, naltrexone, or acamprosate. OUD is approached with opioid replacement therapy or naltrexone. In the settings of addiction to stimulants or hallucinogens, treatment is mainly supportive. It is possible that the absence/inefficacy of existing treatment modalities is a consequence of insufficient mechanistic insight into the development and progression of SUDs. Pharmacologically, current medications

are based on relatively simplistic concepts. In the case of AUD, for example, naltrexone is used as it may function as a non-selective antagonist of opioid receptors capable of reducing the alcohol-induced release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and limiting the pleasure after alcohol consumption. Although some efficacy of naltrexone was shown in randomized controlled trials, its actual clinical benefits are very low, which is not surprising given that the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of AUD might be enormously complex. Recent years showed that AUD may be associated with a broad dysregulation of genetic and transcriptional mechanisms. For instance, a large DNA methylation

epigenome-wide association study employed a cross-tissue/cross-phenotypic approach and showed that AUD is associated with a network of differentially methylated regions. Another study demonstrated that AUD is associated with genome-wide changes in splicing in multiple brain regions.

The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight genome-wide molecular mechanisms of SUDs using the paradigm of systems biology. Of interest would be studies related to commonly abused substances (such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabis, etc.). Of particular relevance would be investigations that delineate genetic underpinnings of addiction, studies focusing on epigenetic and transcriptional changes (with the use of high-throughput approaches such as microarrays, RNA sequencing, etc.), and proteomics studies. Even though genome-wide mechanisms are likely to be the focus, research characterizing novel specific pathways involved in addiction would be of interest as well. Since -omics studies in the field of SUDs are in a pre-clinical phase, we expect that most manuscripts will be based on data from animal models or/and in vitro experiments, with the implementation of bioinformatics techniques and computational biology (although findings from human subjects would also be welcome, as such datasets would strengthen a translational potential).

In sum, we look forward to studies that would provide insight into genome-wide mechanisms of SUDs and suggest novel therapeutic targets using concepts of systems biology and personalized medicine.

Keywords: substance use disorders, molecular mechanisms, genome-wide, alcohol use disorders, opioid use disorders

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Impact

  • 10kTopic views
  • 6,507Article views
  • 3,422Article downloads
View impact