GenSUD

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a leading cause of premature mortality, and frequently co-occur with other psychiatric and somatic diseases. Multi-morbidity is associated with poorer treatment outcome, and significantly contributes to excess mortality. However, the temporal relationships of comorbidities are not well-established, and vary between types of SUDs, as well as between sexes. There are several shared mechanisms underlying the risk for multiple psychiatric disorders, including shared genetic risks. SUDs are complex, heterogenous disorders with high heritability, yet the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This knowledge gap has impeded the development of targeted and effective treatment options, particularly considering the complexity of identifying and treating patients with multiple diagnoses including SUD. The differences among SUD patients with comorbid diagnoses may reflect differences in the underlying biology. Thus, there is a need for a better understanding of the heterogeneity. 

The GenSUD project will combine clinical and genetic data in order to determine specific multimorbidity patterns and pathways among people with SUD, and to what extent shared genetic risk can explain these clinical outcomes. The project includes collaborations with clinicians at seksjon rusakuttmottak og avgiftning, and researchers at the Center for Precision Psychiatry at University of Oslo.  

The GenSUD project will contribute critical insights into the etiology of SUDs, by discerning patterns of disease trajectories using large Norwegian samples with registry data. Furthermore, the project aims to unravel shared genetic risks with mental and somatic diseases to understand underlying molecular pathways. Using data from the Norwegian Patient Registry, we will characterize the SUD patient group and identify clusters of multi-morbidity as well as temporal disease trajectories, taking into account the sequence of diagnoses preceding and following SUD diagnosis. Finally, blood samples from a subpopulation of SUD patients will be used to compute polygenic risk scores to identify genetic overlap psychiatric and somatic diseases and SUD-related phenotypes.We will use longitudinal methods to identify specific patterns in sequences of mental and somatic diagnoses among people with SUD diagnoses based on NPR data, We will take into account potential sex differences and well as differences based on specific SUD types. Polygenic risk scores from patients presenting at RUA will be investigated as potential predictors of these longitudinal patterns. 

Updated registry data will be obtained and analyzed in 2026, and there is ongoing collection of consent and blood samples at RUA. The first round of genetic analysis on these blood samples will be completed in 2026