Β_Lactam Antibiotics Against Drug Addiction: A Novel Therapeutic Option Publisher Pubmed



Esmailishahzadealiakbari P¹ ; Ghaderi A¹ ; Hosseini SMM² ; Nejat F³ ; Saeedimofrad M⁴ ; Karimihouyeh M⁴ ; Ghattan A⁴ ; Etemadi A⁴ ; Rasoulian E⁵ ; Khezri A⁶
Source: Drug Development Research Published:2023

Abstract

Drug addiction as a problem for the health of the individual and the society is the result of a complex process in which there is an interaction between brain nuclei and neurotransmitters (such as glutamate). β-lactam antibiotics, due to their enhancing properties on the glutamate transporter glutamate transporter-1, can affect and counteract the addictive mechanisms of drugs through the regulation of extracellular glutamate. Since glutamate is a key neurotransmitter in the development of drug addiction, it seems that β-lactams can be considered as a promising treatment for addiction. However, more research in this field is necessary to identify other mechanisms involved in their effectiveness. This article is a review of the studies conducted on the effect of β-lactam administration in preventing the development of drug addiction, as well as their possible cellular and molecular mechanisms. This review suggests the clinical use of β-lactam antibiotics that have weak antimicrobial properties (such as clavulanic acid) in the treatment of drug dependence. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.