DeCure's autonomous Immuno AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Autoimmune Hepatitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 9-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleAutoimmune Hepatitis maps to a 9-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 autoimmune hepatitis 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
nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1) — NR3C1 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 7KW7 · 3.57 Å · ligand ADENOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (ADP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
The UK-AIH study enrolled 1249 patients, 81% female with median age at diagnosis 50 years. Twenty-nine different treatment regimens were recorded. The overall biochemical remission rate was 59%. Remission was significantly higher in transplant centres (62%) than in non-transplant centres (55%). Fifty-five per cent of patients had ongoing corticosteroid exposure, and 9% were on prednisolone monotherapy. Patients diagnosed at age 20 or younger were more likely to develop cirrhosis. The authors concluded that care provision is inequitable and that overall remission rates are poor, indicating significant unmet therapeutic needs.
Standard therapy for autoimmune hepatitis remains prednisone alone or in combination with azathioprine, with combination therapy preferred to reduce corticosteroid side effects. A 2014 review noted that suboptimal responses — treatment failure, partial response, drug toxicity, and frequent relapse after drug withdrawal — are common. The calcineurin inhibitors, budesonide, and mycophenolate mofetil have been used as frontline or salvage therapies, but budesonide is not recommended as salvage. Rapamycin, rituximab, and infliximab have rescued some refractory patients, but experience with these agents is limited. A 2025 review states that the standard regimen is still glucocorticoids and azathioprine, though novel biological agents offer new options for refractory cases. According to the 2010 AASLD guidelines, many patients are nonresponders to conventional treatment.
Histologic remission is achievable in the majority of patients, but many require low-dose maintenance therapy. Drug therapy may benefit patients with cirrhosis if significant inflammation is present on biopsy. Orthotopic liver transplantation is indicated for decompensated cirrhosis or severe hepatitis that does not respond to initial therapy. The specific pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis has not been fully elucidated.
What is still missing is a clear understanding of which patients will respond to which second-line agent, and why. The UK-AIH study highlights that even standard care is delivered unevenly, with better outcomes in transplant centres. No large randomised trial has compared the newer biological agents head-to-head against standard therapy in refractory disease, and no biomarker reliably predicts response to any specific drug. Patient stratification by disease phenotype, autoantibody profile, or genetic background remains an aspiration rather than a clinical tool.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Inequity of care provision and outcome disparity in autoimmune hepatitis in the United Kingdom
AbstractBACKGROUND: Treatment paradigms in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) have remained largely unchanged for decades. Studies report ≤20% of patients have sub-optimal treatment response with most requiring long-term therapy. AIM: The United Kingdom Autoimmune Hepatitis (UK-AIH) study was established to evaluate current treatment practice and outcomes, determine the unmet needs of patients, and develop and implement improved treatment approaches. METHODS: The United Kingdom Autoimmune Hepatitis study is a cross-sectional cohort study examining secondary care management of prevalent adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis. Enrolment began in March 2014. Prevalent cases were defined as having been diagnosed and treated for >1 year. Demographic data, biochemistry, treatment history and response, and care location were collected. RESULTS: In total, 1249 patients were recruited; 635 were cared for in transplant units and 614 in non-transplant centres (81% female with median age at diagnosis 50 years). Overall, 29 treatment regimens were reported and biochemical remission rate was 59%. Remission rates were significantly higher in transplant compared to non-transplant centres (62 vs 55%, P = 0.028). 55% have ongoing corticosteroid exposure; 9% are receiving prednisolone monotherapy. Those aged ≤20 years at diagnosis were more likely to develop cirrhosis and place of care was associated with an aggressive disease phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant discrepancies in the care received by patients with autoimmune hepatitis in the UK. A high proportion remains on corticosteroids and there is significant treatment variability. Patients receiving care in transplant centres were more likely to achieve and maintain remission. Overall poor remission rates suggest that there are significant unmet therapeutic needs for patients with autoimmune hepatitis.
Autoimmune hepatitis: an approach to disease understanding and management
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic immune-mediated liver injury, frequently associated with progression to end-stage liver disease if untreated. Patients commonly present with hepatitis, positive immune serology, elevated immunoglobulins and compatible liver histology, in the absence of an alternative aetiology. SOURCES OF DATA: Data for this review were obtained using PubMed. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Disease usually responds to steroids and azathioprine, and appears to be a manifestation of autoimmune predisposition triggered in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to likely environmental challenges. We provide an up-to-date approach to disease understanding and management along with the clinical approach to diagnosis and current treatment suggestions. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Controversies such as second line therapies and novel markers of disease activity are introduced. GROWING POINTS: Increased understanding of the immunoregulatory mechanisms behind autoimmune hepatitis has led to opportunities for new therapies. These are developed including a discussion of timely research studies relevant to future therapies for patients.
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy · 2014 · 40 citations
Current and prospective pharmacotherapy for autoimmune hepatitis
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Corticosteroids alone or in combination with azathioprine are the mainstay therapies of autoimmune hepatitis. Suboptimal responses (treatment failure, partial response, drug toxicity), frequent relapse after drug withdrawal, and the emergence of alternative immunosuppressive medications have fueled the pursuit of new treatments. The goals of this review are to present current management strategies and evolving interventions. AREAS COVERED: PubMed searches from 1970 - 2014 provide the bases for this review. Corticosteroid regimens should be administered until resolution of symptoms, laboratory tests, and liver tissue abnormalities. Treatment failure warrants high doses of the original regimen, and relapse warrants re-treatment followed by long-term maintenance with azathioprine. The calcineurin inhibitors, budesonide, and mycophenolate mofetil are evolving as frontline therapies, and they may be considered as salvage therapies with the exception of budesonide. Rapamycin, rituximab, and infliximab have also rescued refractory patients but experiences are limited. Anti-oxidants, recombinant molecules, mAbs, and modulators of critical cell populations are key prospects. EXPERT OPINION: Autoimmune hepatitis must be managed by multiple medications that supplement or supplant current regimens depending on the clinical situation. Rescue therapies will emerge as adjunctive interventions to minimize tissue damage (prevent fibrosis and hepatocyte apoptosis) and improve immune tolerance (regulatory T cell manipulations).
AbstractAutoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflammatory liver disease that responds well to prednisone alone or in combination with azathioprine. Combination therapy is preferred initially because of the lower rate of corticosteroid-induced adverse effects. Specific criteria for diagnosis include a wide range of biochemical, histologic, and immunologic features that define the disease. Autoimmune hepatitis is characterized by various autoantibodies, both traditional and nontraditional. Most of these autoantibodies are measured for diagnostic purposes and do not correlate with disease severity or activity. Sustained histologic remission is achievable in the majority of patients, although many patients require low-dose maintenance therapy. Drug therapy may be beneficial in patients with cirrhosis when considerable inflammation is noted on biopsy. Orthotopic liver transplantation should be considered for patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to autoimmune hepatitis or those with severe hepatitis in whom initial therapy is not successful.
Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening · 2021 · 2 citations · open access
Diagnostikk og behandling av autoimmun hepatitt
AbstractAutoimmune hepatitis is a chronic liver disease which, if untreated, can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver failure. The majority of patients respond well to standard immunosuppressive therapy, but some experience adverse effects, or lack of treatment efficacy. Diagnosis, assessment of therapeutic response and choice of second-line therapy may be challenging. This article provides a summary of updated knowledge concerning diagnosis and treatment of patients with complex autoimmune hepatitis.
Low-wage worker characteristics: implications for children in poverty
AbstractAutoimmune hepatitis remains a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The clinician, the hepato-pathologist and the laboratory personnel need to become more familiar with different expressions of the disease, interpretation of liver histology and autoimmune serology. According to the strict definition of treatment response issued by the 2010 AASLD guidelines, many patients are nonresponders to conventional treatment. Newer immunosuppressive agents targeting pathogenetic mechanisms can improve patient management, which needs to be tailored on a case-by-case basis.
[Diagnosis and treatment strategies of autoimmune hepatitis and future challenges].
AbstractAutoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a kind of immune-mediated chronic liver disease, and its specific pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated. In recent years, the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Expert Group has revised histology and autoantibody evaluation criteria for diagnosing AIH and has clarified the definition of treatment response. The current standard treatment regimen is still glucocorticoids and azathioprine, but novel biological agents offer new therapeutic options for patients with refractory AIH. This article reviews the new progress in the diagnosis and treatment of AIH and explores the current challenges and future research directions.
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.
