UC research examines the role of genetics in opioid use disorder
Study identifies genetic variants that could provide therapeutic targets in the future
New research out of the University of Cincinnati examines the association between genetics and the presence of opioid use disorder (OUD). The study identified six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or genetic variants that are linked to OUD.
The study was published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
“We are trying to identify some of the genetic variants that might play into OUD,” says Caroline Freiermuth, MD, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UC College of Medicine and principal investigator for the study. “Patients received an oral swab that gets put inside their cheek, and those swabs were sent off for genetic testing looking for 180 single nucleotide polymorphisms.”
Caroline Freiermuth, MD, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UC College of Medicine/Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Marketing + Brand
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, more than 107,000 people in the U.S. died in 2021 from drug overdose, with overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids increasing 23% from the year before. The economic cost of OUD and opioid-related overdose mortality exceeds $1 trillion annually in the United States.
The study enrolled about 1,300 patients within three large urban emergency departments in Ohio, which has ranked in the top five for opioid overdose deaths since 2014.
“We wanted to determine for any random person who comes to the emergency department what their genetic link might be and do they now or did they ever have opioid use disorder in their life, and do we think their genetics have played a role in that,” says Freiermuth. “We found that there were quite a few single nucleotide polymorphisms that seem to be associated with opioid use disorder.”
The study found that although genetics play a role in disease, there is also significant interaction from the environment. Freiermuth says further study is needed to highlight the true impact of the genetic variants and how external factors contribute to the development of OUD. Further exploration of biogeographical genetic ancestry groups and their association with OUD is warranted, the study concluded,
“I think this is really exciting because it should help us try to figure out who is truly at risk when they are exposed to opioids and that could make it easier for us to decide who we can and can’t prescribe opioids to,” Freiermuth says. “This could help determine who might need further monitoring in the future instead of just blanket saying ‘nobody should ever get more than a certain amount.'"
Lead image of test tubes/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Make Hoxworth Blood Center’s special holiday events part of your family celebrations this December
December 12, 2025
This December, Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, is inviting families across Greater Cincinnati to add something truly meaningful to their holiday traditions: giving the gift of life. With festive community events, beloved local partners and special thank-you gifts for donors, Hoxworth is making it easier, and more heartwarming than ever, to roll up your sleeves and help save lives close to home.
Ohio nurses weigh in on proposed federal loan rule
December 12, 2025
Spectrum News journalist Javari Burnett spoke with UC Dean Alicia Ribar and UC nursing students Megan Romero and Nevaeh Haskins about proposed new federal student loan rules. Romero and Haskins, both seniors, were filmed in the College of Nursing’s Simulation Lab.
UC awarded nearly $1 million to help fight infant obesity spike
December 12, 2025
University of Cincinnati researcher Cathy Stough spoke with Spectrum News1 about a nearly $1 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded to UC to help prevent infant obesity through early nutrition support and family-based interventions.