Addiction as a genetic disease is a relatively new concept in science. Discovering what role genetics may play in promoting addiction, putting some users at higher risk for relapse or initial addiction. It is a part of genetics that is still somewhat of a mystery. Scientists are researching what genes are associated with addiction directly and indirectly. Go to the following website: https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/ This is a learning genetics site run by the University of Utah and is full of interesting information. Once on the site you will complete one short reading and then interact with another part of the site. Step 1: Open the Genes of Addiction webpage using the link above Step 2: Click on the Genes and Addiction tab to access the reading. Read the page and be sure to click on the lecture sound bytes and listen to them. They are important for understanding the context of the reading. Step 3: The last section of the reading discusses a new medical concept known as precision medicine. Select one of the genes listed in the assigned reading. Research the gene and list the following: 1. Name of gene and its product PLEASE DO: MPDZ gene 2. the function of the gene product (what does the gene product do for the cell) 3. In the pathway used by the gene product, what is one potential drug target that scientists could use to treat the genes associated addiction properties. Step 4: Complete according to your pathway. Step 4 for each pathway is listed below. STEM Pathway students: Using the same website, click on the tab titled Mouse Party (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/mouse/). Drag a mouse to the machine on the right and learn about the different cellular pathways affected by each drug. Select one of the drugs and research if any genes have been associated with that drugs addictive properties. Name the gene, its product and describe its association with that addictive properties for that drug. Cite your sources. AHCD Pathway Students: Read the section of the webpage titled Addiction Treatments Past and Present. (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/treatments/). Discuss how art or music therapy could be used as a form of supportive treatment in drug rehabilitation and why you believe it may or may not be helpful. Use at least two outside resources to support your opinion. Business Pathway Students: Navigate to the section of the webpage titled Discovering Addiction Genes Using the Candidate Gene Approach (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/candidate/). After reading the page, discuss how you could use the research results from one of the research methods described to develop a marketing strategy or business strategy to treat people suffering from addiction. Education Pathway Students: Navigate to and complete the section of the webpage titled PI: Pedigree Investigator (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/pi/). After completing the pedigree activity, provide a summary of a lesson plan that explains how you would use the PI activity to teach high school students about pedigree analysis while incorporating a “say no to smoking” theme in the lesson. Health Science Pathway Students: Read the section of the webpage titled How Drugs Can Kill (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/drugskill/). After reading, discuss how you could provide this same information to a patient that is in the hospital recovering from an overdose in order to prevent them from overdosing again in the future. IMCT Pathway Students: Navigate to the section of the webpage titled Environmental Risk Factors (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/environment/). Read the page and listen to the audio clips. Focusing on the Community Domain and School Domain described in the reading, discuss the logistics of those domains and how logistics and supply chain management skills could be used to reduce the risk factors in those environments in order to reduce the availability of the drugs. Public Safety Pathway Students: Marijuana was recently legalized for medicinal use in the state of Florida. Read the section of the webpage titled Cannabis in the Clinic? The Medical Marijuana Debate (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/cannabis/). After reading the article and listening to the audio clips, compare the pros and cons of medical marijuana and provide at least one resource supporting your argument for each (one source to support a con and one to support a pro). SBSHS Pathway Students: Read the section of the webpage titled Social Environment Impacts the Reward Pathway (https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/social/). Read the paragraph and watch the video about the primate study and reward pathways. (If the sound is not working, turn on the closed captions at the bottom right corner of the video player). Write a brief discussion that relates the study you learned about to the concept of nature vs nurture.
