DeCure's autonomous Nephrology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for adrenal gland hyperfunction — screening already-approved drugs against its 35-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleAdrenal gland hyperfunction maps to a 35-gene Open Targets module — the target space DeCure's AI scientist screens approved drugs against.
DeCure.ai methodSignature reversal (LINCS) plus network proximity (STRING) rank already-approved drugs likely to perturb this module — the same engine that produces DeCure.ai's repurposing hypotheses.
Repurposing thesisScreening approved medicines against this disease module, then publishing the evidence for the strongest candidate. Known pharmacology and human exposure data make the first question sharper — they do not establish safety or efficacy in a new indication.
Research record
01
ResearchComing soon
Candidate research + dossier — target rationale, drug-repurposing thesis and evidence pack.proof: Published dossier + on-chain hash
02
ValidationComing soon
In-vitro biological validation at a contract research org (CRO).proof: CRO contract + in-vitro report
03
Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Current lead
No approved-drug candidate for adrenal gland hyperfunction is corroborated in the literature DeepSearch retrieved. Some conditions are managed with non-pharmacological care — a device, surgery or physical therapy — rather than a medicine; that may be the case here, or the literature we found may simply be too sparse yet to support a drug-repurposing angle.
Molecular view
cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily B member 1 (CYP11B1) — CYP11B1 is one of the genes genetically linked to this disease in Open Targets — shown as context, not as a drug target we're pursuing: no approved-drug candidate for this disease is yet corroborated in the literature we found.
Loading structure…
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RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 7E7F · 1.4 Å · ligand PROTOPORPHYRIN IX CONTAINING FE (HEM). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Surgery to remove non-neoplastic adrenal glands was described in 1951 as a way to abolish deleterious functional activities, with the note that disease caused by adrenal hyperfunction could be cured or alleviated by such procedures, though no patient numbers or survival data were given. The same paper stated that adrenal surgery was in a fast-moving evolutionary stage and that methods to maintain life in the absence of the adrenals were a recent development. No drug was tested or recommended in that abstract.
A 2004 review of gene deletion and overexpression studies in mice stated that the adrenal gland is crucial for adaptation to stress and that alterations in adrenal function can have severe consequences, but it did not report any drug intervention, human trial, or quantitative outcome. A 1980 journal article on adrenal gland disorders provided no original data, no patient sample, and no mention of any drug.
No drug has been shown in these abstracts to reduce adrenal hyperfunction in humans. The evidence consists of a surgical approach from 1951 with no reported outcomes, and two reviews that offer no clinical results. What is missing is any controlled trial, any pharmacological intervention tested in patients, any measure of response or survival, and any stratification of patients by cause of hyperfunction.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
JAMA · 1951 · 120 citations
SURGERY OF THE ADRENALS
AbstractThe purposes of surgery of the human adrenal glands are to remove neoplasms of these structures or to abolish functional activities which are deleterious to the organism; both conditions may be coeval. The principle of abolition of dangerous physiological functions of the adrenals, of course, is the opposite to stimulation of these glands by a corticotrophic agent, for example, corticotrophin (ACTH). There are several clear indications for the removal of nonneoplastic adrenals at present; no doubt more will be found, and the subject will assume greater importance. Frequently disease conditions caused by adrenal hyperfunction or those mediated through normal activity of these glands can be cured or alleviated by surgical procedures, with impressive results. Adrenal surgery is now in a fast-moving evolutionary stage. Recently there have been four major developments in this area. These are (a) methods of maintenance of life in the absence of the adrenal glands or in
Hormone and Metabolic Research · 2004 · 1 citations
What Do We Learn from Gene Deletion and Overexpression for Adrenal Function?
AbstractThe adrenal gland affects many of the body’s physiological processes of endocrine, metabolic, and immunologic nature. It is crucial in the adaptation to stress as the central effector organ of both the stress systems of the body. Alterations in adrenal function may thus result in severe consequences for the integrity of the organism, and adrenal function is tightly regulated by a complex network of regulatory mechanisms. Endogenous and exogenous genetic alterations now allow a functional dissection and analysis of single components of both classical and newly discovered regulatory mechanisms for evaluating their physiological importance in an otherwise intact organism.
American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy · 1980 · 0 citations
Adrenal Gland Disorders
AbstractJournal Article Adrenal Gland Disorders Get access David S. Fredrick, Pharm.D., David S. Fredrick, Pharm.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University, 75 De Kalb Avenue at University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, Volume 37, Issue 3, 1 March 1980, Pages 410–412, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/37.3.410 Published: 01 March 1980
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works (targeted per-candidate search), resolved on OpenAlex.
DeCure is a research and publication project, not medical advice and not a treatment. "DeCure for X" describes a research goal, not a claim that a cure exists. Backing a cure is a contribution to fund the research — it is not an investment, and confers no yield, royalty, equity or IP ownership. Papers are published open-access by the DeCure.ai DAO.
