DeCure's autonomous Neuro AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for autonomic neuropathy — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleAutonomic neuropathy maps to a 1-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 autonomic neuropathy 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
prion protein (Kanno blood group) (PRNP) — PRNP 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 apo structuredrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6LNI · 2.702 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2020 review summarises the autonomic neuropathies, including those from diabetes, amyloid deposition, immune-mediated causes, paraneoplastic syndromes, inherited conditions, and toxins. It notes recent data on epidemiology and atypical presentations of diabetic autonomic neuropathy, treatment-induced neuropathy of diabetes, and advances in hereditary neuropathy associated with amyloidosis. The review does not report any trial of a specific drug for autonomic neuropathy itself.
A 2001 report describes a Japanese family with a novel adult-onset hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy. Three of six siblings were affected. Onset of anosmia occurred between ages 20 and 50, followed by anhidrosis and sensory loss. No skin ulceration was seen. All three patients had orthostatic hypotension. No drug treatment is described in this report.
A 2008 case report describes a 22-year-old woman who developed ileus, severe orthostatic abnormality, sicca syndrome, bilateral miosis, and generalised hypohidrosis two weeks after a mild viral infection. She was diagnosed with idiopathic panautonomic neuropathy. She was treated symptomatically with neostigmine, cisapride, midodrine, enemas, nasogastric tube feeding, and parenteral fluids. At follow-up one year later, she was free of symptoms. This is a single case, not a controlled trial.
What is still missing: no randomised controlled trials of any drug for autonomic neuropathy are reported in these abstracts. There is no evidence from a controlled trial to support any specific pharmacological treatment for the condition itself, as opposed to symptomatic management of individual features. Patient stratification by subtype (diabetic, hereditary, immune-mediated, idiopathic) is not addressed by any trial data. Funding for such trials is absent from the record.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
CONTINUUM Lifelong Learning in Neurology · 2020 · 24 citations
Autonomic Peripheral Neuropathy
AbstractPURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article provides a summary of the autonomic neuropathies, including neuropathies associated with diabetes mellitus, neuropathies due to amyloid deposition, immune-mediated autonomic neuropathies (including those associated with a paraneoplastic syndrome), inherited autonomic neuropathies, and toxic autonomic neuropathies. The presenting features, diagnostic investigations, and natural history of these neuropathies are discussed. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent findings in autonomic peripheral neuropathy include data on the epidemiology and atypical presentations of diabetic autonomic neuropathy, treatment-induced neuropathy of diabetes mellitus, the presentation of immune-mediated neuropathies, and advances in hereditary neuropathy associated with amyloidosis and other hereditary neuropathies. SUMMARY: Knowledge and recognition of the clinical features of the autonomic neuropathies, combined with appropriate laboratory and electrophysiologic testing, will facilitate accurate diagnosis and management.
Adult-onset hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy accompanied by anosmia but without skin ulceration
AbstractWe report a novel type of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) with adult onset in a Japanese family. One male and 2 females of 6 siblings were affected. They developed anosmia initially at the ages of 20-50 years, followed by anhidrosis and sensory loss. Skin ulceration was absent. Both superficial and deep sensation were impaired in the most distal parts of all 4 limbs. Orthostatic hypotension was present in all patients. This is a unique subtype of HSAN distinct from the HSAN I-V described by Dyck.
DMW - Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift · 2008 · 1 citations
Idiopathische autonome Neuropathie: Eine differentialdiagnostisch wichtige Erkrankung
AbstractHISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: Two weeks after a mild viral infection a previously healthy 22-year-old woman developed ileus, a severe abnormality of orthostasis, sicca (Sjögren's) syndrome, bilateral miosis and generalized hyphidrosis. Pelvic endoscopy and laparotomy failed to clarify the cause of the mechanical ileus. INVESTIGATIONS: Neurological examination revealed an isolated abnormality of the autonomic system, involving both sympathetic and parasympathetic components. Schellong's, Schirmer's and the ninhydrin tests were markedly abnormal. There was no heart rate variation on breathing and a post-Valsalva hypotensive blood pressure overshoot. Further tests failed to find a cause of the neuropathy. DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: The diagnosis of idiopathic panautonomic neuropathy (pandysautonomia) was made. The ileus and hypotension were treated symptomatically with neostigmine, cisapride, midodrine and, initially, with enemas, nasogastric tube feeding and parenteral fluids. The patient was free of symptoms at follow-up examination a year later. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic autonomic neuropathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of functional abnormalities of the sympathetic and/or parasympathetic nervous system, especially in previously healthy young people, in the presence of orthostatic, unexplained gastrointestinal and hidrotic symptoms.
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.
