DeCure's autonomous Psychiatry AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for alcohol dependence — screening already-approved drugs against its 46-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleAlcohol dependence maps to a 46-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
approvedTopiramateApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside alcohol dependence in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
Human carbonic anhydrase II — Topiramate has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 3HKU, 1.8 Å). This is the drug's own deposited structure, not a prediction, and confirms it is a structurally characterised molecule rather than an untested guess.
Loading structure…
helix sheet tordrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 3HKU · 1.8 Å · ligand Topiramate (TOR). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 2004 open-label study, 24 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence and also taking other psychoactive drugs received topiramate at an average dose of 262 mg/day for 12 weeks. Baseline ratings of craving and alcohol use decreased significantly by week 2, and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin values decreased from week 6. Three patients dropped out due to adverse events. The authors concluded topiramate was safe and well tolerated, but noted a placebo-controlled study would be needed.
A 2006 review described acamprosate as a medication that, combined with counselling, improves treatment outcome over counselling alone for alcohol dependence. The review did not provide specific numbers for abstinence rates or sample sizes from individual trials, and it did not compare acamprosate directly with other drugs.
A 2008 paper stated that disulfiram therapy relies on the disulfiram-ethanol reaction but is associated with various adverse effects and requires a structured supervised aftercare programme. The paper reported that relapse rates are very high once disulfiram is discontinued, and that the drug is used less often today than previously.
A 2015 rodent study used 90 male Wistar rats given continuous access to water and three alcohol solutions for one year, with scheduled alcohol-deprivation phases to induce manifest alcohol dependence. The study measured POMC-promoter methylation and alpha-MSH protein levels, but reported no results for any drug treatment or for changes in drinking behaviour. No human data on POMC or alpha-MSH in alcohol dependence were provided.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Pharmacopsychiatry · 2004 · 70 citations
Effects of Topiramate in the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence
AbstractBACKGROUND: Anticonvulsant drugs have been used in the treatment of alcohol addiction with relatively good results. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate tolerance and safety of topiramate in patients presenting alcohol dependence. METHODS: We studied 24 patients that fulfilled alcohol-dependence criteria (DSM-IV) and presented other psychiatric disorders for which the use of topiramate was indicated. During the 12 weeks of the study, the patients received topiramate (262 mg/day) plus the psychoactive drugs they were taking for the other disorders. Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) values and measures of craving and alcohol use were taken every 2 weeks. RESULTS: Baseline rating of amount and frequency of craving and alcohol use decreased significantly by week 2, and CDT values decreased from week 6. Topiramate was well tolerated, and there were only three dropouts due to adverse events. CONCLUSION: Topiramate is safe and well tolerated, and may be beneficial in the treatment of alcohol dependence. A placebo-controlled study would be of interest.
FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry · 2006 · 5 citations
Acamprosate for Alcohol Dependence: An Update for the Clinician
AbstractAlcohol dependence is a chronic, relapsing disorder affecting more than 8 million Americans who are at increased risk for negative interpersonal and health consequences from pathological drinking. Successful treatment would potentially decrease these risks and lessen the tremendous personal and societal burdens attributed to this disorder. Psychosocial interventions without pharmacotherapy have long been the traditional treatment approach, but relapse is common. Advances in the identification of neurotransmitter systems involved in the addiction cycle have led to the development of new medications that, used in combination with counseling, further improve treatment outcome over that with counseling alone. Acamprosate is one of the medications that have shown success in promoting abstinence in alcohol-dependent individuals. For some patients, integrating acamprosate therapy into clinical practice as a complement to psychosocial interventions would enhance therapeutic options to assist in recovery. This article provides a clinically focused review of alcohol dependence as well as evidence of the safety and efficacy of acamprosate for treating this disorder.
Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu · 2008 · 1 citations
Społeczna odpowiedzialność małych firm w świetle badań empirycznych
AbstractThe effectiveness of disulfiram is linked to the disulfiram-ethanol reaction in the treatment of Alcohol Dependence Syndrome. However disulfiram therapy is associated with various adverse effects and needs a structured and supervised after care program. Relapse rate is very high once disulfiram therapy is discontinued. Keeping these factors in mind disulfiram therapy is used less often today than previously.
Alcohol and Alcoholism · 2015 · 0 citations · open access
P-68ALTERATIONS OF THE POMC-PROMOTER-METHYLATION AND ITS DERIVATIVE ALPHA-MSH IN A RODENT MODEL FOR ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
AbstractIntroduction. Till this day the molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol dependence are far from being understood in its entirety. Repeatedly the HPA-axis got in the focus of research for alcohol-dependence. Many of these works show an association between alcohol dependence and the answer of the HPA-axis on its different levels. POMC and its derivative Alpha-MSH as part of the HPA-axis are supposed to mediate alcohol craving. To investigate the role of Alpha-MSH for craving we used a rodent model for alcohol dependence. Methods. To prove our hypothesis we used a rodent model with 90 male wistar-rats which were housed individually in single cages. Water, 3 alcohol-solutions (5%, 10% and 20%) and food were offered to the animals ad libitum for one year (4 bottle paradigm), whereas control groups got 4 bottles filled with water. The continuous alcohol consumption of the animals was interrupted by scheduled alcohol-deprivation-phases. During the animal trial a manifest alcohol dependence was induced. The blood and tissues, obtained at the end of the trial, were analysed using direct bisulfite-sequencing (methylation status) and ELISA (Alpha-MSH protein levels).
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.
