DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for amenorrhea — screening already-approved drugs against its 26-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleAmenorrhea maps to a 26-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 amenorrhea 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
progesterone receptor (PGR) — PGR 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…
helix sheet 14beta,17alphadrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1SQN · 1.451 Å · ligand (14beta,17alpha)-17-ethynyl-17-hydroxyestr-4-en-3-one (NDR). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2004 prospective study followed 149 women with secondary amenorrhea for one year after initial diagnosis. The women were categorised as anovulatory (102), hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (36), or hypergonadotropic hypogonadism (11). Of the 100 women evaluable at one year, 31 had their diagnosis changed. Anovulation shifted to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in 11 women, to oligomenorrhea in four, and to normal ovulatory cycle in two. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism changed to anovulation in nine women and to normal ovulatory cycle in one. Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism changed to normal ovulatory cycle in two women. The study gave monthly progestational agent or hormone replacement therapy to women with anovulation or hypogonadism, respectively, but did not report response rates to those treatments.
A 1972 paper noted that plasma gonadotropin radioimmunoassays can differentiate primary from secondary hypogonadism in amenorrhea, but do not establish exact aetiology. A 2025 review described amenorrhea as a complex condition classified as primary or secondary, but provided no new data on treatment outcomes or diagnostic accuracy.
What is still missing: prospective trials that test specific drug interventions against placebo or standard care in defined amenorrhea subtypes, with adequate sample sizes and long-term follow-up. The 2004 study shows that diagnostic categories shift over time, so any trial would need to account for that instability. No trial has yet demonstrated that any drug restores ovulation or menses in a reproducible, clinically meaningful way across the common subtypes of secondary amenorrhea.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Journal of Nippon Medical School · 2004 · 8 citations · open access
Re-evaluation of Secondary Amenorrheic Patients One Year after Initial Diagnosis: A Prospective Study
AbstractOBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to re-evaluate women with secondary amenorrhea one year after the first visit evaluation. STUDY METHODS: One hundred and seventy-five women with secondary amenorrhea were evaluated on the first visit. Their ages ranged from 18 to 29. Secondary amenorrhea was defined by the absence of menses for more than 3 months after excluding pregnancy. Women who were attempting to conceive were excluded from the study. 1) One hundred and two women were anovulatory (2) 36 had hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, 3) 11 had hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, and 4) 21 had hyperprolactinemia, 5) and five fell into other categories. The one hundred and forty-nine women in categories 1) to 3) were followed up for one year after the first diagnosis was made. A monthly progestational agent or HRT (hormone replacement therapy) was given to women with anovulation or hypogonadism, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 149 women in categories 1) to 3), 100 could be evaluated one year after the first diagnosis. There were 31 women whose diagnosis was changed. Anovulation changed to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in 11 women, oligomenorrhea in four, and normal ovulatory cycle in two. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism changed to anovulation in nine women, and to normal ovulatory cycle in one. Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism changed to normal ovulatory cycle in two women. CONCLUSIONS: A significant finding is that approximately one third of the women initially diagnosed with secondary amenorrhea, upon re-evaluation within one year had their diagnosis changed. Therefore evaluation of amenorrhea at an appropriate time is critical for proper management.
Plasma Gonadotropin Assays in the Diagnostic Work-up of Amenorrhea
AbstractPlasma gonadotropin radioimmunoassays can be of value in delineating the general area of involvement of the pathologic process causing amenorrhea. Although they do not establish the exact etiology, these assays differentiate primary from secondary hypogonadism and can serve as a basis for choosing the additional tests necessary to make a specific diagnosis.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
AMENORRHEA: A COMPLEX PATHOLOGICAL CONDITION IN GYNECOLOGY
AbstractAmenorrhea is the absence or abnormal cessation of menstruation and is recognized as a key indicator of various underlying gynecological and systemic disorders. This condition, which affects both adolescent and reproductive-age women, can be classified as primary or secondary based on the timing and etiology of menstrual absence. This article explores the multifactorial nature of amenorrhea, examining its pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnostic protocols, and clinical management strategies in accordance with contemporary gynecological standards.
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.
