DeCure's autonomous Dermatology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for atopic eczema — screening already-approved drugs against its 42-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleAtopic eczema maps to a 42-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 atopic eczema 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
FKBP prolyl isomerase 1A (FKBP1A) — FKBP1A 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 4~{s},5~{r},6~{z},9~{s},10~{s},12~{e}drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6I1S · 1.52 Å · ligand (4~{S},5~{R},6~{Z},9~{S},10~{S},12~{E})-16-(ethylamino)-4,5-dimethyl-9,10,18-tris(oxidanyl)-3-oxabicyclo[12.4.0]octadeca-1(14),6,12,15,17-pentaene-2,8-dione (E26). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 2007 open-label dose-ranging trial, 12 adults with moderate-to-severe atopic eczema who had only partially responded to potent topical steroids and emollients were given oral methotrexate for 24 weeks. Disease activity, measured by the six area six sign atopic dermatitis (SASSAD) score, improved by an average of 52% from baseline (95% confidence interval 45–60%). Five of 12 patients were rated as having marked improvement by investigators, and six of 12 by patients. Most improvement was seen by week 12; patients who had not responded well by that point despite reaching 15 mg weekly did not improve with further dose escalation. Eight of nine patients had persistent improvement 12 weeks after stopping methotrexate, with mean disease activity remaining 34% below baseline. One patient withdrew due to minor adverse effects; the other 11 completed treatment, achieving a median dose of 15 mg weekly.
A 2014 review states that between 15% and 20% of children and 1% to 3% of adults worldwide are affected by atopic eczema, describing it as a chronic inflammatory skin disease driven by impaired skin barrier function, immune system modifications, and hyper-reactivity to environmental triggers. The review does not report any new trial data.
In 2019, the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) VII consensus meeting, involving 74 participants from 16 countries, agreed on core outcome instruments for future atopic eczema trials. For quality of life, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) for adults, the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) for children, and the Infant’s Dermatology Quality of Life Index (IDQoL) for infants were recommended. For long-term control, either the Recap of Atopic Eczema (RECAP) instrument or the Atopic Dermatitis Control Test (ADCT) should be used, though consensus on how often to collect long-term control data was not reached. The peak itch numerical rating scale (NRS-11) over the past 24 hours was recommended for the symptom domain in older children and adults.
What is still missing is a randomised controlled trial of methotrexate for atopic eczema, which the 2007 authors themselves called for. The HOME consensus provides standardised instruments but does not address the lack of large, blinded, controlled efficacy data for methotrexate. Patient stratification by prior treatment response or genetic factors has not been tested in a prospective trial, and funding for such a trial remains absent.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
British Journal of Dermatology · 2007 · 146 citations
An open-label, dose-ranging study of methotrexate for moderate-to-severe adult atopic eczema
AbstractBACKGROUND: Treatment options for moderate-to-severe atopic eczema are limited. Although methotrexate (MTX) is a widely used and effective treatment for psoriasis, there have been no previous prospective trials of its use in refractory atopic eczema, despite a few small, retrospective reports suggesting that it is a well-tolerated and effective treatment. OBJECTIVES: We have assessed the safety and efficacy of oral MTX in 12 adults with moderate-to-severe atopic eczema in an open-label, dose-ranging, prospective trial using objective outcome measures. METHODS: All patients had previously received other second-line therapies and had disease only partially responsive to potent topical steroids and emollients. During the 24-week MTX treatment period, unrestricted use of standard topical therapy was permitted. We used an incremental MTX dose regime, starting at 10 mg per week (following a 5-mg test dose) and increasing by 2.5 mg weekly until response was achieved or treatment was limited by toxicity. Disease activity [six area six sign atopic dermatitis (SASSAD) score] was assessed every 4 weeks during treatment and 12 weeks after stopping MTX. The primary endpoint was 24-week change in disease activity. RESULTS: On average, disease activity improved by 52% from baseline (95% confidence interval 45-60%). There were significant improvements in quality of life, body surface area affected and loss of sleep and itch scores. Global response was rated as 'marked improvement' in five of 12 and six of 12 patients, by investigators and patients, respectively. In all patients, the majority of improvement in disease activity was seen by week 12, and, interestingly, patients who had not responded well over this period despite reaching a dose of 15 mg weekly failed to improve with further dose escalation. Only one patient withdrew due to minor adverse effects. MTX was well tolerated by the remaining 11 patients, all of whom completed treatment, achieving a median dose of 15 mg weekly. Importantly, eight of nine patients had a persistent improvement 12 weeks after stopping MTX, with mean disease activity remaining 34% below baseline. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that MTX is an effective, well-tolerated treatment for moderate-to-severe atopic eczema, and response appears to compare favourably with other second-line therapies. A randomized, controlled trial is now warranted.
British Journal of Dermatology · 2020 · 12 citations · open access
Recommended core outcome instruments for health‐related quality of life, long‐term control and itch intensity in atopic eczema trials: results of the HOME VII consensus meeting
AbstractBACKGROUND: The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has established a core outcome set of domains for atopic eczema clinical trials. Previous consensus meetings have agreed upon preferred instruments for clinician-reported signs (Eczema Area and Severity Index - EASI) and patient-reported symptoms (Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure - POEM). This paper reports consensus decisions from the HOME VII meeting. OBJECTIVE: To complete the core outcome set for atopic eczema by agreeing upon core outcome instruments for the domains of quality of life, long-term control and itch intensity. METHODS: April, 2019) including 74 participants (47 healthcare professionals/methodologists, 14 patients, 13 industry representatives), from 16 countries. Consensus decisions were made by presentations of evidence, followed by whole and small group discussions and anonymous voting using pre-defined consensus rules. RESULTS: It was agreed by consensus that quality of life should be measured using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) for adults, the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) for children, and the Infant's Dermatology Quality of Life Index (IDQoL) for infants. For long-term control, the Recap of Atopic Eczema (RECAP) instrument or the Atopic Dermatitis Control Test (ADCT) should be used. Consensus was not reached over the frequency of data collection for long-term control. The peak itch numerical rating scale(NRS)-11 past 24 hours was recommended as an additional instrument for the symptom domain in trials of older children and adults. Agreement was reached that all core outcome instruments should be captured at baseline and at the time of primary outcome assessment as a minimum. CONCLUSIONS: For now, the core outcome set for clinical trials in atopic eczema is complete. The specified domains and instruments should be used in all new clinical trials and systematic reviews of eczema treatments.
Frontiers in bioscience · 2014 · 9 citations · open access
Atopic eczema: a disease modulated by gene and environment
AbstractAtopic eczema (AE) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is mainly characterized by pruritus and epidermal barrier dysfunction. Between 15% and 20% of children and 1%-3% of adults are affected worldwide. AE is a complex disease triggered by multiple triggers, including gene and environmental factors. Impaired skin barrier function, modifications of the immune system, and hyper-reactivity to environmental stimulation directly cause and aggravate AE. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent developments and future directions in the pathogenesis of AE.
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.
