DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for ascending colon cancer — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleAscending colon cancer maps to a 2-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 ascending colon cancer 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
mutS homolog 2 (MSH2) — MSH2 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 adpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8RB1 · 2.085 Å · ligand ADENOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (ADP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2022 review of drug repurposing for colorectal cancer notes that five-year survival in the metastatic setting remains as low as 10%. The review lists anti-malarial, anti-helminthic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-diabetic agents as repurposed candidates with evidence and mechanisms of action, but provides no patient-level data from repurposing trials.
A 2019 case report describes a 72-year-old man with obstructing descending colon adenocarcinoma who received a self-expandable metal stent followed by two cycles of mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy, then left hemi-colectomy. He was disease-free six months after surgery. This is a single case, not a controlled study.
Two retrospective studies address adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II colon cancer. A 2016 Chilean cohort of 202 stage II patients found a five-year survival rate of 79% and no benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. A 2011 US study of 138 stage II patients reported that 66% of those who received chemotherapy survived three years or more, compared to 57% of those who did not; the difference was not statistically significant. Both studies conclude the role of chemotherapy in stage II colon cancer remains controversial.
A 2020 meta-analysis of four studies (534 patients) comparing transverse colectomy to extended colectomy for transverse colon cancer found no significant differences in wound infection, ileus, anastomotic leak, or recurrence rates over a median follow-up of 56 months. A 2008 Chinese review states that despite combined therapy based on radical surgery, a large percentage of patients still die of recurrence and metastasis. What is missing are prospective trials that stratify ascending colon cancer patients by molecular subtype, funding for repurposing trials that report survival endpoints rather than mechanism, and any data on whether the repurposed drugs listed in the 2022 review improve outcomes in this specific subsite.
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 Surgery · 2013 · 123 citations · open access
Incidence and Predictors of Bowel Obstruction in Elderly Patients With Stage IV Colon Cancer
AbstractIMPORTANCE: Research has been limited on the incidence, mechanisms, etiology, and treatment of symptoms that require palliation in patients with terminal cancer. Bowel obstruction (BO) is a common complication of advanced abdominal cancer, including colon cancer, for which small, single-institution studies have suggested an incidence rate of 15% to 29%. Large population-based studies examining the incidence or risk factors associated with BO in cancer are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with BO in patients with stage IV colon cancer. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cohort, population-based study of patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results and Medicare claims linked databases who were diagnosed as having stage IV colon cancer from January 1, 1991, through December 31, 2005. PATIENTS: Patients 65 years or older with stage IV colon cancer (n = 12 553). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Time to BO, defined by inpatient hospitalization for BO. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to determine associations between BO and patient, prior treatment, and tumor features. RESULTS: We identified 1004 patients with stage IV colon cancer subsequently hospitalized with BO (8.0%). In multivariable analysis, proximal tumor site (hazard ratio, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.07-1.40]), high tumor grade (1.34 [1.16-1.55]), mucinous histological type (1.27 [1.08-1.50]), and nodal stage N2 (1.52 [1.26-1.84]) were associated with increased risk of BO, as was the presence of obstruction at cancer diagnosis (1.75 [1.47-2.04]). A more recent diagnosis was associated with decreased risk of subsequent obstruction (hazard ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.72-0.98]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this large population of patients with stage IV colon cancer, BO after diagnosis was less common (8.0%) than previously reported. Risk was associated with site and histological type of the primary tumor. Future studies will explore management and outcomes in this serious, common complication.
Overcoming Therapy Resistance in Colon Cancer by Drug Repurposing
AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world. Despite improvement in standardized screening methods and the development of promising therapies, the 5-year survival rates are as low as 10% in the metastatic setting. The increasing life expectancy of the general population, higher rates of obesity, poor diet, and comorbidities contribute to the increasing trends in incidence. Drug repurposing offers an affordable solution to achieve new indications for previously approved drugs that could play a protagonist or adjuvant role in the treatment of CRC with the advantage of treating underlying comorbidities and decreasing chemotherapy toxicity. This review elaborates on the current data that supports drug repurposing as a feasible option for patients with CRC with a focus on the evidence and mechanism of action promising repurposed candidates that are widely used, including but not limited to anti-malarial, anti-helminthic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-diabetic agents.
World Journal of Clinical Cases · 2019 · 10 citations · open access
Successful treatment of obstructing colonic cancer by combining self-expandable stent and neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A case report
AbstractBACKGROUND: Surgery 5-10 d after stent insertion was recommended by the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy for obstructing colonic cancer. For some obstructive patients, this may be not a good choice. Here, we report the successful treatment of obstructing colonic cancer by combining self-expandable stent and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. CASE SUMMARY: The patient was a 72-year-old man who was admitted with a chief complaint of abdominal pain for more than 1 mo. Computed tomography (CT) scanning revealed that there was a mass in the descending colon, which led to intestinal obstruction. On admission, a series of therapeutic measures, such as fasting and water deprivation, gastrointestinal decompression, total parenteral nutrition, and octreotide acetate, were taken to improve the obstructive symptoms. At the same time, a self-expandable metal stent was successfully placed across the stenosis, and a biopsy was obtained and diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. CT scanning 14 d after insertion of the stent revealed that the intestine was swollen significantly. Systemic chemotherapy with modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) was administered. After two courses of mFOLFOX6, CT scanning showed clearly that swelling of the intestine was improved. Subsequently, the patient underwent left hemi-colectomy without stoma placement. The postoperative course was uneventful, and he has been disease-free for 6 mo after surgery. CONCLUSION: This modified treatment strategy may provide an alternative therapy for patients with obstructing colonic cancers.
Revista médica de Chile · 2016 · 1 citations · open access
Beneficio de la quimioterapia adyuvante en pacientes con cáncer de colon: cohorte retrospectiva de un hospital clínico universitario
AbstractBACKGROUND: Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of adjuvant 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for patients with resectable colon cancer (CC), especially in stage III. AIM: To describe the clinical characteristics of a cohort of CC patients treated at a single university hospital in Chile since 2002, and to investigate if chemotherapy had an effect on survival rates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of a tumor registry of the hospital. Medical records of patients with CC treated between 2002 and 2012 were reviewed. Death certificates from the National Identification Service were used to determine mortality. Overall survival was described using the Kaplan-Meier method. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model was also used. RESULTS: A total of 370 patients were treated during the study period (202 in stage II and 168 in stage III). Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 22 and 70% of patients in stage II and III respectively. The median follow-up period was 4.6 years. The 5-year survival rate for stage II patients was 79% and there was no benefit observed with adjuvant chemotherapy. For stage III patients, the 5-year survival rate was 81% for patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, compared to 56% for those who did not receive chemotherapy (hazard ratio (HR): 0.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15-0.56). The benefit of chemotherapy was found to persist after adjustment for other prognostic variables (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.23-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with colon cancer in stage III who received adjuvant chemotherapy had a better overall survival.
Korean Journal of Medicine · 2012 · 1 citations · open access
Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Colon Cancer
AbstractColorectal cancer represents a major public health problem in worldwide including Korea. According to the National Cancer Registry, colon cancer is the third most common cancer and the forth leading cause of cancer death. The surgery is a main treatment option for cure. Despite curative surgery in those presenting early, the risk of relapse is significantly high. To improve the survival, huge advances have been made in the treatment of colon cancer over the last decade. Especially, the median overall survival time for stage IV colon cancer has been reached from 6-9 months to over 20 months. Based on these results, drugs such as irinotecan, oxaliplatin and oral fluoropyrimidine have been used to evaluate the efficacy in adjuvant setting. Oxaliplatin based chemotherapy is now emerging as the standard of care in adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer. Targeted agents, which have shown promise in the metastatic setting, are currently being examined in the adjuvant setting, although results have been disappointing until now. Even though adjuvant treatment is recommended for âhigh riskâ stage II, the endeavor to answer for question-who should be treated by what-is needed. (Korean J Med 2012;83:297-304) Keywords: Colon cancer; Adjuvant chemotherapy ì¤ì¬ ë¨ì´: ëì¥ì; ë³´ì¡°íìííìë²
The effect of chemotherapy on overall survival of stage II colon cancer.
Abstract625 Background: Surgical resection of local colon cancer is the only curative treatment, at the same time adjuvant chemotherapy is clearly shown to be beneficial as the standard of care for node positive disease (stage III) colon cancer. However the role of chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer treatment is still conflicting. We aim to compare the overall survival rate of stage II colon cancer patient's with and without chemotherapy. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted from 1990-2006. Patients with stage II colon cancer were included. Patient's characteristics including age, gender, common site of involvement, histology patterns, overall survival rate and treatment with chemotherapy were recorded. Results: A total of 138 consecutive patients were identified from 1990-2006. The median age was 68 (21-91) year, males (44%), African Americans (47.6%). The most common sites of the primary tumor were sigmoid and cecum (22.4%) each. Adenocarcinoma being the most common pathology. Majority of the patients (86.2%) were found to have T 3 tumors. Of the patients that received chemotherapy (29/44) 66% had an overall survival rate of three years or more, whereas (53/94) 57% of the patients who did not receive chemotherapy had a survival rate of three years or more. The difference of survival rates between the two groups of patients was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The role of chemotherapy in stage II colon ancer is still controversial. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups who did and did not receive chemotherapy; thus more studies are warranted to explore the factors that predict the survival of stage II colon cancer. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Mesentery and Peritoneum · 2020 · 0 citations · open access
AB050. Transverse versus extended colectomy for transverse colon cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
AbstractBackground: Optimal surgical approach in transverse colon cancer is still not as standardized as right or left colon cancer. Concerns exist regarding short term operative outcomes such as leak from colonic anastomosis and long term oncological outcomes. Our aim was to review current literature and compare different surgical techniques in terms of oncological outcomes, postoperative complications and survival rates. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed and EMBASE databases was performed. Meta-analysis was conducted according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All studies comparing transverse colectomy with extended colectomy for transverse colon cancer were included. Each study was reviewed and data extracted. Random-effects methods were used to combine data. Results: Four studies including comparative data on 534 patients were included. Groups were similar regarding demographics and tumour characteristics. There were no significant differences in short term post-operative outcomes such as wound infection (OR 1.41, 95% CI: 0.59–3.31, P=0.44), ileus (OR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.43–1.41, P=0.41) and anastomotic leak (OR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.29–3.24, P=0.97). Over a median follow up period of 56 months, no differences in recurrence rates were seen between those undergoing transverse or extended hemi colectomy for transverse colon tumours (OR 1.08, 95% CI: 0.59–1.96, P=0.79). Conclusions: Transverse colectomy is a safe and feasible approach in transverse colon cancer with comparable short-term and long-term outcomes to more extensive colectomies.
Progress in the studies of colon cancer recurrence
AbstractColon cancer is one of the most common cancers in China, with an increasing incidence these years. Currently, the combined therapy based on radical surgery has dramatically improved the survival rate and life quality of patients, however, a large percentage of patients still died of recurrence and metastasis. In recent years, the treatment strategies for the recurrence of colon cancer have been greatly advanced, especially the new targeted drugs and chemotherapeutic drugs, which lead to a significantly improved therapeutic efficacy and a better life quality. Therefore, how to choose and use these new treatments synthetically and reasonably become a great challenge to all surgeons, especially to digestive surgeons.
Key words:
Colon cancer; Recurrence
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.
