DeCure's autonomous Psychiatry AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for bipolar I disorder — screening already-approved drugs against its 46-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleBipolar I disorder maps to a 46-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 bipolar i disorder 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
inositol monophosphatase 1 (IMPA1) — IMPA1 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-oxidanylphenoxydrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6GIU · 1.39 Å · ligand [1-(4-oxidanylphenoxy)-1-phosphono-ethyl]phosphonic acid (L69). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a retrospective study of 2,644 Medicaid patients with bipolar I disorder, only one-third received both an antimanic agent and psychotherapy in the year after their first observed bipolar diagnosis. Patients whose first mental health service occurred in an intensive setting (hospital, partial hospital, or residential programme) were less likely to receive both recommended treatments. Those presenting with depression, anxiety, or other non-bipolar diagnoses were more likely to receive an antidepressant without an antimanic agent, a pattern discouraged by guidelines. The study covers fiscal years 1994 to 2000 and raises concerns about treatment quality in a medically complicated, largely disabled population.
A cross-sectional study of euthymic type 1 bipolar patients found that 53.3% had overall functional impairment, measured by the Functioning Assessment Short Test. Functional impairment was associated with age, education level, professional activity, number of manic and depressive episodes, number of hospitalisations, a higher Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score, and two self-esteem subscores: self-confidence and self-deprecation. The authors argue that treatment goals should shift from symptomatic remission to functional remission.
A 2015 review states that acute mania is typically treated with a mood stabiliser plus an atypical antipsychotic, while treatment of bipolar depression remains controversial because antidepressants used for unipolar depression show little efficacy in bipolar disorder and may trigger mania or cycle acceleration. Long-term prophylaxis often involves one or more mood stabilisers (lithium, lamotrigine, valproate, carbamazepine), sometimes combined with an atypical antipsychotic. The review notes that inadequately treated illness tends to progress in frequency, severity, and complexity.
A 2024 review on the neurobiology of bipolar disorder acknowledges that much is unknown about the condition’s aetiology, which it attributes largely to environmental pressures rather than a clear genetic basis. It focuses on signalling cascades, receptors, and intracellular communication dysfunction, and describes the medications that target them along with their adverse effects. The review aims to highlight a shifting treatment landscape and previously unknown roles of genes and receptors.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Psychiatric Services · 2007 · 28 citations
Quality of Care in a Medicaid Population With Bipolar I Disorder
AbstractOBJECTIVE: This study examined whether presenting diagnosis and treatment in intensive settings (hospitalization, partial hospitalization, or residential programs) are correlated with the subsequent treatment of bipolar I disorder. METHODS: Claims data were studied retrospectively (fiscal years 1994-2000) for 2,644 patients with bipolar I disorder who had been enrolled in Medicaid at least six months before their first observed bipolar diagnosis. Logistic regression models estimated the association between the presenting diagnosis and initial treatment setting and the subsequent treatment up to one year after the first observed bipolar diagnosis. Measures included receipt of guideline-recommended care (antimanic agent plus psychotherapy) or care discouraged by guidelines (an antidepressant without an antimanic agent). RESULTS: Only one-third of enrollees received both guideline-recommended treatments after the first observed bipolar diagnosis. Patients were less likely to receive both recommended treatments if the first observed mental health service occurred in an intensive setting. Enrollees presenting with a bipolar diagnosis were less likely to receive psychotherapy, whereas rates of antimanic medication use were similar to those with other presenting diagnoses. Presenting with depression or anxiety or other, nonbipolar diagnoses was associated with a higher likelihood of receiving pharmacotherapy discouraged by guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: This study raises general concerns for the treatment quality of bipolar I disorder in this medically complicated, largely disabled Medicaid population. Also, how bipolar I patients enter treatment can be associated with subsequent differences in treatment quality--information that can be useful to clinicians and policy makers when planning quality improvements to treatment programs.
Pan African Medical Journal · 2016 · 6 citations · open access
Facteurs prédictifs du fonctionnement chez les patients bipolaires de type 1 en période de rémission
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Recent studies indicate that bipolar disorder is associated with a profound impairment in almost all areas of functioning. This study aims to evaluate functional recovery in type 1 bipolar patients during remission period. METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional study of euthymic type 1 bipolar patients followed up on an ambulatory basis. In the analysis to be reported here we used Hamilton Depression Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST). RESULTS: More than half of the study population (53.3%) had overall functional impairment. The overall functioning was associated with age, education level, professional activity, the number of manic and depressive episodes, the number of hospitalizations, a higher HDRS score as well as with the two self-esteem subscores: "self-confidence" and "self-deprecation". CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a paradigm shift in the treatment of bipolar disorders should happen and that the goals of therapy should be modified from symptomatic remission to functional remission.
The Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology · 2015 · 2 citations
Bipolar I Disorder
AbstractAbstract Bipolar I disorder is a highly recurrent condition consisting of full‐blown manias that alternate with major depressions. Not only do acute episodes require treatment, but long‐term pharmacoprophylaxis with adjunctive psychoeducation and therapy are also fundamental. Treatment of acute mania typically involves both a mood stabilizer and an atypical antipsychotic; treatment of bipolar depression remains controversial, as antidepressants used traditionally for unipolar depression show little efficacy in bipolar disorder. Further, traditional antidepressants may be associated with both switches into mania and cycle acceleration. The major therapeutic goal remains the achievement and maintenance of remission, as inadequately treated illness tends to progress in frequency, severity, complexity of presentation, and ultimately treatment refractoriness. Long‐term prophylaxis often involves one or more mood stabilizers (lithium, lamotrigine, valproate, and carbamazepine), often in combination with an atypical antipsychotic and other adjunctive treatments.
International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology · 2015 · 2 citations · open access
Bipolar disorder: a review of current U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved pharmacotherapy
AbstractBipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic disorder which usually has its onset in early adulthood. At one end of the spectrum is depression and at other is mania. Like many psychiatric illnesses, it is not treatable but its symptoms are completely manageable with medications. Commonly used drugs are mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics along with adjunctive medications such as anxiolytics and antidepressants. In general, a combination of these drugs is used for treatment. These drugs have significant adverse effects which add to the burden of the disease. Presently, there are 11 US Food and Drug Administration - approved drugs for management of acute mania, 3 for bipolar depression and 7 for bipolar maintenance. This review article details the use of these drugs in BD.
Journal of Student Research · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
The Neurobiology of Bipolar Disorder and Medication Used to Treat It
AbstractMental health has been a growing area of interest in recent years, correlating with increased awareness about conditions such as generalized anxiety, clinical depression, and bipolar disorder. This is thanks to the improvement in the quality of treatment for psychiatric conditions, social media contributing to a widespread awareness, and recent governmental campaigns. However, because the topic of mental health is relatively new, much is unknown about the etiology and science behind these conditions, in part due to many of these conditions mostly being the result of environmental pressures, and rarely have a genetic basis. As a result of this, recent research, including this paper, primarily aims to examine a number of receptors, polypeptides, and erroneous steps that stem from intracellular communication dysfunction. This paper primarily focuses on the signaling cascades that are most frequent in bipolar disorder, as well as the medication that controls them and potential adverse side effects. Through examination of primary sources and various experiments conducted in tandem with their respective drugs, this paper primarily aims to highlight the shifting landscape in bipolar disorder treatment, while also de-mystifying the etiology behind it. It also aims to highlight previously unknown roles of various genes and receptors important to the etiology of bipolar disorder.
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.
