Figure 1: Timeline of milestones in SUD treatments and epigenetics.
(Top) Relatively few FDA-approved treatments for SUD are currently available, and most treatments target neurotransmitter receptors. There are no FDA-approved medications for cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis use disorders. (Bottom) The majority of histone and DNA-modifying proteins were identified in the last few decades. Multiple epigenetic-based therapies have received FDA-approval in recent years for the treatment of cancer, but there are currently no FDA-approved, epigenetic-related treatments for SUD. AUD, alcohol use disorder; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; HATs, histone acetyltransferases; HDACs, histone deacetylases; HMTs, histone methyltransferases; NUD, nicotine use disorder; OUD, opioid use disorder.