A new study by researchers at UC San Diego has identified a key genetic driver of cocaine addiction in the liver, rather than the brain, specifically linking the Ces1 gene cluster to compulsive cocaine addiction.

How this affects you

This research shifts the understanding of substance use disorder by demonstrating that peripheral metabolic processes in the liver significantly influence compulsive behavioral drives. It suggests that future medications could target liver enzymes to alter how the body metabolizes cocaine, potentially blunting the drive toward compulsive use and helping individuals genetically susceptible to addiction.