DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Bartholin gland disease — 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 moduleBartholin gland disease 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 bartholin gland disease 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
serpin family G member 1 (SERPING1) — SERPING1 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 so3drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 5DUQ · 2.9 Å · ligand SULFITE ION (SO3). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2013 case report found Enterobius vermicularis eggs in the Bartholin gland abscess aspirate of a 45-year-old woman, detected by cytological examination among inflammatory infiltrate. The authors note that no parasite had previously been reported among infectious agents detected from Bartholin gland abscesses, which generally result from polymicrobial infections or sexually transmitted pathogens.
A 2017 case report describes a 44-year-old woman who developed a right anterolateral transsphincteric anal fistula after a Bartholin gland abscess that had been successfully treated in 2008. The patient presented in 2016 with right vulvar swelling and bloody discharge from the anus when compressing the gland. Anoscopic evaluation confirmed the fistula. A Seton stitch procedure kept the fistula free of drainage, inflammation, or further local structural damage for over 48 weeks post-placement. The authors note that only four such fistula cases have been documented in the past forty years and that no standard of care exists for this complication.
A 2023 single case study reports a 22-year-old woman with swelling and mild pain in the right labia majora for 10 days, who had taken allopathic medicine for 5 days without relief and had a history of similar complaints on the left side treated surgically one year earlier. The patient was treated with Ayurvedic interventions including drugs described as Vata-kapha hara, Shotha hara, Raktha shodaka, Shula hara, and Janthugna, along with Yonidhavana, Yoni lepa, Yoni dhupa, and dietary and conduct advice. The patient was relieved completely after 15 days of treatment. The study does not report sample size beyond this single patient, nor does it provide objective measures of cyst size or infection status before and after treatment.
What is still missing: no controlled trials exist for any of these approaches. The parasite case is a single observation with no follow-up data. The fistula case is one of four ever reported, and the Seton stitch outcome is reported only for that patient. The Ayurvedic case is a single uncontrolled report with no blinding, no standardised outcome measures, and no comparison group. No randomised trial, no prospective cohort, and no systematic review of Bartholin gland abscess treatment exists that accounts for parasitic, fistulous, or Ayurvedic management. Patient stratification by aetiology, cyst versus abscess, and prior treatment history remains unaddressed.
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 obstetrics and gynaecology research · 2013 · 5 citations
<i><scp>E</scp>nterobius vermicularis</i>: Can it be a possible pathogen in Bartholin gland abscess formation?
AbstractThe most frequent disorders of the Bartholin glands are cysts or abscesses. Bartholin gland abscesses occur generally as a result of polymicrobial infections or agents that cause sexually transmitted diseases. But as far as we know, no parasite has been previously reported among the infectious agents that are detected from the abscesses of the Bartholin gland. Here, we report a 45-year-old woman, in the Bartholin abscess aspirate of whom Enterobius vermicularis eggs were detected in between the inflammatory infiltrate by cytological examination.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology · 2017 · 0 citations
Bartholinʼs Gland Abscess Complicated by Anterolateral Transsphincteric Anal Fistula Formation
AbstractBartholin's gland abscess development in females is a common gynecological problem, developing in 2% of women. Resolution of the abscess is usually seen within 4-6 weeks, though some cases may result in post-treatment complications. One rare event, which has only been documented four times in literature over the past forty years, is the formation of a fistula between the Bartholin's gland and the lumen of the anus. Given the novel nature of the complication, no standard of care exists for such an anovaginal fistula. A 44-year-old female with a past medical history of a Bartholin's abscess, successfully treated in 2008, presented in May of 2016 with a complaint of right vulvar swelling of a few months duration with drainage upon palpating the Bartholin's gland. Of note, the patient mentioned noticing a bloody discharge from her anus while compressing the vulvar swelling. On physical exam, the Bartholin's gland ostia was visible on the right and barely palpable. Compression of the Bartholin's gland yielded blood per anus. The initial impression was the presence of a fistula between the right Bartholin's gland and anus, most likely inside the anal verge. Further investigation by a colorectal surgeon was indicated and discussed with the patient. In June of 2016, anoscopic evaluation and probing by a colorectal surgeon showed a right anterolateral transsphincteric anal fistula. Six days after the colorectal diagnosis, the patient underwent a Seton stitch procedure in effort to drain and heal the fistula without damaging any further structures and to relieve the chronic inflammation. The Seton stitch intervention has kept the fistula free of drainage, inflammation, or any further local structural damage for over 48 weeks post-placement. The Seton stitch procedure was proven to be effective as a long-term bridging therapy from initial presentation until corrective surgery is possible. Corrective surgery includes wide mobilization of adjacent tissue, complete excision of the fistula, and a multilayered closure. Very few cases of such exist in current literature, so the management of each case allows insight into the overall care of this rare complication.Figure: Examination showing the placement of Seton stitch coursing through the opening of the fistula in the Bartholin gland, progressing through the lumen of the fistula, and exiting through the anus. The stitch is seen knotted on the exterior.
International Ayurvedic Medical Journal · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO YONI KANDA WITH RESPECT TO BARTHOLIN’S CYST-A SINGLE CASE STUDY
AbstractBartholin’s cyst is a condition of Bartholin's glands which are located deep to posterior aspect of labia majora on either side. Bartholin’s cyst form when duct becomes obstructed with fluid. Further when the cyst becomes in-fected and if untreated, it develops in abscess. This causes irritation and pain during walking, sitting and during intercourse. According to Ayurveda it can be correlated to Yonikanda (Bartholin’s cyst), which was mentioned in Madhavanidana, where Yonikanda is described as disease of vagina presenting with protuberant mass like struc-ture which resembles Nikucha or Lakucha (Monkey jack fruit) shape. In present case study, A female aged 22 years, unmarried, occupation by student, came to OPD of Dr. BRKR GOVT AYURVEDIC HOSPITAL, complaining of swelling and mild pain in right labia majora since 10days. For this condition she took allopathy medicine for 5days but no relief. She has a previous history of the same complaints on left side of labia 1year ago, which was treated surgically. Considering all the factors this condition can be correlated with Yonikanda and managed by Aushada (Drug) which are Vata-kapha hara, Shotha ha-ra(Anti-inflammatory), Raktha shodaka(Blood purifier), Shula hara(Analgesic),Janthugna (Anti-microbial) properties. Sthanika chikitsa like Yonidhavana (Vaginal douche), Yoni lepa(Vaginal anointment), Yoni dhu-pa(Vaginal fumigation), Ahara(Diet), Vihara(Conduct). In contemporary sciences, antibiotics, surgical draining, marsupialization, removal of Bartholin glands is only the line of treatment, whereas in Ayurveda it can be man-aged through Aushada, Sthanika chikitsa, Ahara, Vihara, Dinacharya (Daily regimen). The patient got relieved completely after 15days of treatment.
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.
