Methods for identifying treatments that reduce the actions of substances of abuse and addiction

A method for identifying therapeutic agents for treatment of addiction to a substance of abuse that require MBLAC1 to reduce actions of the substance of abuse, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing at least one test agent, MBLAC1 protein or MBLAC1-expressing cells, and Ceftriaxone (Cef);
• and (b) using an assay to determine whether the at least one test agent is capable of disrupting binding between MBLAC1 protein and Cef, wherein a test agent capable of disrupting binding between MBLAC1 protein and Cef is identified as a candidate therapeutic agent for treatment of addiction to a substance of abuse;
• and ((c) administering the candidate therapeutic agent and the substance of abuse to at least one MBLAC1 knock-out (KO) animal and to at least one wild-type (WT) MBLAC1 animal and subsequently subjecting the animals to at least one test selected from the group consisting of:
• a locomotor assay, a withdrawal assay, a sensitization assay, consisting of:
• a locomotor assay, a self-administration assay, a reinstatement to drug assay, an analysis of white matter changes, and an analysis of changes in GLTI expression,
• wherein if the candidate therapeutic agent reduces or eliminates the actions of the substance of abuse in the WT MBLAC1 animal but not in the MBLAC1 KO animal, the candidate therapeutic agent is a therapeutic agent that requires the presence of MBLAC1 to reduce actions of a substance of abuse.