An old virus may be responsible for some addictive behaviors

Traces of old retrovirus infections can be found throughout the human genome. In most cases, it is thought that these tiny changes in our DNA do not have much of a pathogenic effect on the human body, but researchers have drawn the attention of researchers to a particular retrovirus, called HK2. HK2 has sometimes been found integrated into a gene called RASGRF2. This specific gene is known to play a role in the dopaminergic activity of the brain, and previous research has revealed links between RASGRF2 and alcohol dependence.