Modified tetracycline for treatment of alcohol use disorder, pain and other disorders involving potential inflammatory processes

1. A method of treating a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), comprising:

providing a subject with an effective amount of a modified tetracycline or derivative thereof to ameliorate the SUD, and wherein the modified tetracycline or derivative thereof has reduced binding to a microbial ribosome and has the formula:

R 1 is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, acetyl, alkyl, R 2 is H, OH or acetyl, R 3 is H or acetyl, R 4 is H or acetyl, and R 5 is H or acetyl.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified tetracycline has the formula:

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified tetracycline has at least one of: moderate to no antibacterial activity, or has moderate to no antifungal activity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ribosome is a bacterial ribosome.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modification at least one of: produces steric hindrance, blocks hydrogen bonding, or change coordination with divalent cations.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified tetracycline further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable buffer, excipient, filler, or carrier.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified tetracycline is adapted for administration orally, enterally, parenterally, intramuscularly, intravenously, or intraperitoneally.

8. A method of evaluating a candidate drug believed to be useful in treating Substance Use Disorder (SUD), the method comprising:

a) measuring the SUD from a set of patients;

b) administering a candidate drug to a first subset of the patients, and a placebo to a second subset of the patients, wherein the candidate drug is a C6′ modified tetracycline that has the formula:

R 1 is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, acetyl, alkyl, R 2 is H, OH or acetyl, R 3 is H or acetyl, R 4 is H or acetyl, and R 5 is H or acetyl;

c) repeating step a) after the administration of the candidate drug or the placebo; and

d) determining if the candidate drug reduces the SUD that is statistically significant as compared to any reduction occurring in the second subset of patients, wherein a statistically significant reduction indicates that the candidate drug is useful in treating SUD.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the modified tetracycline has the formula:

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the modification at least one of: produces steric hindrance, blocks hydrogen bonding, or change coordination with divalent cations.

11. A method of treating a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) comprising:

identifying a subject in need of treatment for SUD; and

providing the subject with an effective amount of a modified tetracycline or derivative thereof to ameliorate the SUD, and wherein the modified tetracycline or derivative thereof has reduced binding to a microbial ribosome and has the formula:

R 1 is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, acetyl, alkyl, R 2 is H, OH or acetyl, R 3 is H or acetyl, R 4 is H or acetyl, and R 5 is H or acetyl, in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modified tetracycline has the formula:

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modified tetracycline has at least one of: moderate to no antibacterial activity, or has moderate to no antifungal activity.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ribosome is a bacterial ribosome.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modification at least one of: produces steric hindrance, blocks hydrogen bonding, or change coordination with divalent cations.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modified tetracycline further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable buffer, excipient, filler, or carrier.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modified tetracycline is adapted for administration orally, enterally, intramuscularly, parenterally, intravenously, or intraperitoneally.