Cocaine is the third most commonly abused illegal drug, after marijuana and prescription painkillers. In 2011, nearly 5 million Americans over the age of 12 abused cocaine. Following cocaine detoxification, the relapse rate among human addicts is discouragingly high, even after prolonged abstinence. Despite many years of pre- clinical and clinical research focused on improving our understanding of the neurochemical and neurobiological basis of cocaine addiction, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapeutic interventions for the treatment of cocaine abuse and relapse. Therefore, these studies will examine the role of a novel protein, AKAP150, in the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior, an animal model of cocaine relapse. AKAP150 is known to interact with many signaling, receptor, and ion channel proteins that are involved in cocaine reinstatement; however, its role in cocaine seeking remains largely unexplored. These studies will help elucidate our understanding of the signaling cascades underlying cocaine relapse. Furthermore, these studies may help identify potential novel pharmacotherapeutic targets for the treatment of cocaine craving and relapse.
Cocaine addiction is a serious, ongoing public health problem in the United States. Unfortunately, despite years of pre-clinical and clinical research, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapeutic interventions for the treatment of cocaine addiction and relapse. Exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cocaine relapse in an animal model could identify biomarkers associated with cocaine addiction as well as define novel targets for therapeutic development.
