Associations of the DRD2 gene polymorphism (rs1800497) with the development of substance use disorders in adolescence

Panov A. S.¹

Vinnikova M. A.²

1Moscow Research & Practical Centre on Addictions of The Moscow Department of Healthcare. 109390, 37/1 Lyublinskaya street, Moscow, Russian Federation
2The State Education Institution of Higher Professional Training The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University under Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. 119992, 8/2, Trubetskaya street, Moscow, Russian Federation

Panov Aleksey Sergeevich; е-mail: groar@mail.ru

None declared.

The study had no sponsorship.

16.03.2026

The article presents the results of an observational cross-sectional study in the field of adolescent addiction psychiatry. It provides up-to-date information on substance use among adolescents and its association with the DRD2 gene polymorphism (rs1800497), which encodes the type 2 dopamine receptor. The study aimed to investigate the association between this genetic marker and the development of substance use disorders in adolescents. The study included 188 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years. An analysis of genotype and allele frequency distributions was conducted, and the association of the A1 allele carriage with qualitative and quantitative indicators of various classes of substance use, as well as the need for inpatient treatment, was evaluated. The results established that carriers of the A1 allele (A1/A1 and A1/A2 genotypes) were significantly more likely to try and subsequently misuse synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, hallucinogens, and volatile organic substances compared to A2/A2 homozygotes. A dose-dependent effect of the A1 allele was identified regarding the use of synthetic cathinones. The presence of at least one A1 allele was associated with higher odds of admission to an addiction treatment hospital. The findings suggest that the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene can be considered a significant risk marker for the development of substance use disorders in adolescents.

addiction, adolescents, genetics, narcology, substance use, DRD2, rs1800497

10.29234/2308-9113-2026-14-1-36-49

1. Kibitov A.O. Geneticheskie aspekty narkologicheskikh zabolevaniy: monografiya [Genetic aspects of addictive disorders: a monograph]. 2nd ed. Moscow: Prometey, 2021. 312 p. (In Russ.)

2. Kibitov A.O., Anokhina I.P. Geneticheskie osnovy etiologii i patogeneza bolezney zavisimosti ot psikhoaktivnykh veshchestv [Genetic basis of etiology and pathogenesis of substance use disorders]. Narkologiya [Narcology]. 2016;15(6):84-104. (In Russ.)

3. Kibitov A.O. Molekulyarno-geneticheskiy profil' dofaminovoy neyromediatornoy sistemy pri alkogolizme i geroinovoy narkomanii: dis. ... d-ra med. nauk [Molecular genetic profile of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in alcoholism and heroin addiction: Dr. med. sci. diss.]. Moscow, 2013. 359 p. (In Russ.)

4. Blum K., Bowirrat A., Baron D. et al. Biotechnical development of genetic addiction risk score (GARS) and selective evidence for inclusion of polymorphic allelic risk in substance use disorder (SUD). Journal of Systemic and Integrative Neuroscience. 2020;6(2). DOI: 10.15761/JSIN.1000221.

5. Blum K., Oscar-Berman M., Barh D. et al. Dopamine Genetics and Function in Food and Substance Abuse. Journal of Genetic Syndromes & Gene Therapy. 2013;4(121). DOI: 10.4172/2157-7412.1000121.

6. Chiang T.I., Lane H.Y., Lin C.H. D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2) Taq1A (rs1800497) affects bone density. Scientific Reports. 2020;10:13236. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70262-0.

7. Blum K., Modestino E.J., Gondre-Lewis M. et al. The Benefits of Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARS™) Testing in Substance Use Disorder (SUD). International Journal of Genomics and Data Mining. 2018;2018(1):115. DOI: 10.29014/IJGD-115.000015.

8. Blum K., Bowirrat A., Elman I. et al. Evidence for the DRD2 Gene as a Determinant of Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS). Clinical and Experimental Psychology. 2023;9:8-11.

9. Blum K., Thanos P.K., Hanna C. et al. «TO BE OR NOT TO BE» GWAS Ends the Controversy about the DRD2 Gene as a Determinant of Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS). Psychological Research and Behavior Management. 2023;16:4287-4291. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S428841.

10. Noble E.P. D2 dopamine receptor gene in psychiatric and neurologic disorders and its phenotypes. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics. 2003;116B(1):103-125. DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.10005.

11. Gluskin B.S., Mickey B.J. Genetic variation and dopamine D2 receptor availability: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human in vivo molecular imaging studies. Transl Psychiatry. 2016;6(3):e747. DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.22.

12. Blum K., Kazmi S., Modestino E.J. et al. A Novel Precision Approach to Overcome the «Addiction Pandemic» by Incorporating Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (GARS) and Dopamine Homeostasis Restoration. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2021;11(3):212. DOI: 10.3390/jpm11030212.

13. Korchagina G.A., Fadeeva E.V., Zentsova N.I. et al. Organizatsiya meropriyatiy po rannemu vyyavleniyu sluchaev upotrebleniya psikhoaktivnykh veshchestv v obrazovatel'nykh uchrezhdeniyakh: metodicheskie rekomendatsii [Organization of early detection of psychoactive substance use in educational institutions: guidelines]. Moscow: FSBI «NSC of Narcology» of the Ministry of Health of Russia, 2012. 36 p. (In Russ.)

14. Stattekh: sait [Stattech: website]. Version 4.8.5. Available at: https://stattech.ru/ (accessed 03.03.2026). (In Russ.)

15. Asadullin A.R. Dinamika potrebleniya psikhoaktivnykh veshchestv v Respublike Bashkortostan s uglublennym kliniko-geneticheskim izucheniem formirovaniya zavisimosti ot veshchestv gruppy sinteticheskikh katinonov: dis. ... d-ra med. nauk [Dynamics of psychoactive substance use in the Republic of Bashkortostan with an in-depth clinical and genetic study of the formation of dependence on synthetic cathinones: Dr. med. sci. diss.]. Ufa, 2018. 339 p. (In Russ.)

16. Poplevchenkov K.N. Personalizirovannyy podkhod k terapii patsientov s zavisimost'yu ot psikhostimulyatorov s uchetom klinicheskikh, lichnostnykh i geneticheskikh faktorov: avtoref. dis. ... d-ra med. nauk [Personalized approach to the treatment of patients with psychostimulant dependence considering clinical, personal and genetic factors: Dr. med. sci. abstr.]. Moscow, 2024. 47 p. (In Russ.)

17. Panov A.S., Vinnikova M.A. Vliyanie polimorfizma gena DRD2 na nachalo upotrebleniya psikhoaktivnykh veshchestv v podrostkovom vozraste [Influence of the DRD2 gene polymorphism on the onset of psychoactive substance use in adolescence]. In: Neznanov N.G., ed. Psikhicheskoe zdorov'e: ot raznoobraziya fenomenologii k kontseptual'nomu edinstvu: materialy Vseros. kongr. s mezhdunar. uchastiem (Sankt-Peterburg, 22–23 maya 2025 g.) [Mental health: from diversity of phenomenology to conceptual unity: proceedings of the All-Russian Congress with international participation (St. Petersburg, May 22–23, 2025)]. St. Petersburg: V.M. Bekhterev NMRC PN, 2025. P. 244-245. Available at: https://disk.yandex.ru/i/5DebYZfeFuLupw (accessed 03.03.2026). (In Russ.)