DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for blepharitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 7-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleBlepharitis maps to a 7-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 blepharitis 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
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies (934 patients, 1741 eyes) covering 13 different treatments for Demodex blepharitis found that, except for usual lid hygiene (for mite count) and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario ointment (for both eradication rate and symptoms), all treatments were statistically efficient. The overall effect sizes for mite count, eradication rate, and symptom improvement were 1.68 (95% CI 1.25 to 2.12), 0.45 (0.26–0.64), and 0.76 (0.59–0.90), respectively. No significant difference was found between local and systemic treatments across these outcomes.
A 2015 outcome analysis of 94 patients with microscopic evidence of Demodex blepharitis reported mean mite counts after two months of treatment as follows: 13.3 with 5% tea tree oil (n=6), 12.0 with 0.02% tea tree oil cleansing foam (n=38), 9.4 with metronidazole 2% ointment (n=5), 12.8 with oral ivermectin (n=27), and 22.0 with oral metronidazole (n=5). The authors concluded that none of these options seemed clearly effective. A separate 2015 review noted that eyelid hygiene remains the foundation of most regimens, but that topical and oral antibiotics, steroids, and calcineurin inhibitors show promising results, while also stating that a curative therapy for blepharitis is unlikely in the near future.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of four randomised controlled trials (947 patients) evaluated lotilaner ophthalmic solution 0.25% against placebo. The lotilaner group showed statistically significant improvements in mean collarette grade (upper lid MD -0.99, 95% CI -1.26 to -0.72; lower lid MD -0.57, 95% CI -1.03 to -0.11), mite density (MD -1.13, 95% CI -1.47 to -0.79), meaningful collarette reduction (MD 2.07, 95% CI 2.27 to 3.21), mite eradication (MD 3.46, 95% CI 2.96 to 4.04), erythema cure (RR 3.16, 95% CI 2.18 to 4.59), and collarette cure (RR 4.17, 95% CI 2.97 to 5.85). Adverse events did not differ significantly between groups (RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.75 to 2.06). The authors cautioned that these findings are limited by significant heterogeneity in some outcomes.
What is still missing is a consistently effective, well-tolerated treatment that works across the diverse patient populations with blepharitis. The existing evidence is drawn from small, often heterogeneous studies with short follow-up, and no single agent has shown clear superiority. Larger, longer randomised trials with standardised outcome measures and better patient stratification (e.g., by Demodex burden, anterior versus posterior blepharitis, or concomitant skin conditions) are needed before any drug can be considered a reliable therapy.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
The Ocular Surface · 2019 · 95 citations · open access
Efficacy of treatments for Demodex blepharitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
AbstractPURPOSE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of different treatment for Demodex blepharitis. Parameters studied were mites count, improvement of symptoms and mites' eradication, stratified on type of treatments and mode of delivery of treatments (local or systemic). METHOD: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google scholar and Science Direct databases were searched for studies reporting an efficacy of treatments for Demodex blepharitis. RESULTS: We included 19 studies (14 observational and 5 randomized clinical trials), for a total of 934 patients, 1741 eyes, and 13 different treatments. For mites count, eradication rate, and symptoms improvement, meta-analysis included fifteen, fourteen and thirteen studies, respectively. The overall effect sizes for efficiency of all treatments, globally, were 1.68 (95CI 1.25 to 2.12), 0.45 (0.26-0.64), and 0.76 (0.59-0.90), respectively. Except usual lid hygiene for mites count, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario ointment (CHEO) for both eradication rate and symptoms, and CHEO, 2% metronidazole ointment, and systemic metronidazole for eradication rate, all treatments were efficient. Stratified meta-analysis did not show significant differences between local and systemic treatments (1.22, 0.83 to 1.60 vs 2.24, 1.30 to 3.18 for mites count; 0.37, 0.21 to 0.54 vs 0.56, 0.06 to 0.99 for eradication rate; and 0.77, 0.58 to 0.92 vs 0.67, 0.25 to 0.98 for symptoms improvement). CONCLUSION: We reported the efficiency of the different treatments of Demodex blepharitis. Because of less systemic side effects, local treatments seem promising molecules in the treatment of Demodex blepharitis.
Current Opinion in Ophthalmology · 2015 · 87 citations
Medical management of blepharitis
AbstractPURPOSE OF REVIEW: Blepharitis is one of the most common ocular pathologies encountered in the clinical setting. Despite its prevalence, successful treatment is often difficult. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the medical management of blepharitis. RECENT FINDINGS: The available treatment options for blepharitis have expanded rapidly in recent years. Eyelid hygiene remains the foundation of most treatment regimens, but the addition of topical and oral antibiotics, steroids, and calcineurin inhibitors is showing promising results. Dietary considerations and interventional procedures may also play a role in the future of blepharitis management. SUMMARY: Although a curative therapy for blepharitis is unlikely in the near future, several novel treatment options may result in better control of this chronic condition.
Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde · 2015 · 31 citations
Treatment Options for Demodex Blepharitis: Patient Choice and Efficacy
AbstractBACKGROUND: Demodex mites are microscopic parasites that live around hair follicles or sebaceous glands and may cause chronic blepharitis. The aim of this outcome analysis was to assess the efficacy and patient preferences with regard to the currently recommended treatment options. METHODS: All patients with microscopic evidence for Demodex blepharitis were informed about the currently published treatments and instructed about daily lid hygiene. Additional topical treatment options included tea tree oil (TTO) 5%, a cleansing foam containing 0.02% TTO (Naviblef®), and metronidazole 2% ointment. Systemic treatment options included oral ivermectin 6 mg on day 1 and 14 and metronidazole 500 mg twice daily for 10 days. All patients were reviewed after 2 months for symptoms and for a mite count on 10 epilated lashes. RESULTS: Ninety-four of 96 patients with Demodex blepharitis opted for an additional treatment. The mean mite count after 2 months of treatment were 13.3 with 5% TTO (n=6), 12.0 with 0.02% TTO (n=38), 9.4 with metronidazole ointment (n=5), 12.8 with ivermectin (n=27) and 22.0 with oral metronidazole (n=5). CONCLUSION: While there are several published treatment options available, none of these options seem to be clearly effective in Demodex blepharitis.
Ocular Immunology and Inflammation · 2024 · 6 citations · open access
Efficacy and Safety of Lotilaner Ophthalmic Solution 0.25% in the Treatment of Demodex Blepharitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
AbstractPURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Lotilaner ophthalmic solution 0.25% in the treatment of demodex blepharitis. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched. RCTs comparing lotilaner with placebo or any other standard treatments were included. Outcomes of mean collarette grade (MCG), mite density (Md), meaningful collarette reduction (MCR), mite eradication (ME), were pooled as mean difference (MD), and the outcomes of erythema cure (EC), collarette cure (CC) adverse events (AE) as risk ratio (RR) with their 95% confidence interval (CI) between the two groups from baseline to the endpoint. Review Manager (Version 5.4.1) software was used to conduct all statistical analyses. RESULTS: Four RCTs (947 patients) were included in this study. The overall effect favored the lotilaner group in terms of mean collarette grade upper lid (MD -0.99, 95% CI [-1.26, -0.72]), MCG lower lid (MD -0.57, 95% CI [-1.03, -0.11]), Md (MD -1.13, 95% CI [-1.47, -0.79]), MCR (MD 2.07, 95% CI [2.27, 3.21]), ME (MD 3.46, 95% CI [2.96, 4.04]). EC (RR 3.16, 95% CI [2.18 to 4.59]) and CC (RR 4.17, 95% CI [2.97 to 5.85]). No significant difference between the two groups in terms of AE (RR 1.25, 95% CI [0.75 to 2.06]). However, these findings are limited by significant heterogeneity in some of the reported outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that lotilaner might effectively treat Demodex blepharitis. However, further RCTs with larger and more diverse populations are needed to confirm these findings as some outcomes show significant heterogeneity.
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
To Study the Effect of Shigaru-Neem Bidalaka in the Management of Blepharitis: A Case Study
AbstractBlepharitis is one of the most common diseases seen by the Ophthalmologist which is a chronic inflammation of the eye lid margins. It is often the underlying reason for eye discomfort redness etc. The term Blepharitis is made up of two words – ‘Blephar’ and ‘itis’ The word ‘blephar’ is derived from ‘Blepharon’ which means eyelid.1 The word ‘itis’ is a suffix from Greek means inflammation. Blepharitis is ulcerative and non-ulcerative inflammation of hair follicles and glands along the edges of the eyelids. It is a sub-acute inflammation of the lid margins of the lid causing red irritant itch eyelids and formation of dandruff like scales on the eyelashes. It is a common eye disorder causing either bacteria or skin condition such as dandruff of scalp acne rosaceous can caused by general seborrhoea and staphylococcus but other pathogenic micro-organisms or secondary in infection may increase the severity of disease.2 Bidalaka is one of the kriyakalapa mentioned in Ayurveda in which drugs are made into paste form and applied to the outer surface of the eyelid leaving the eyelash.3In Bidalaka the tissue contact time is more and helps in the large absorption of drugs. The drugs having anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties. Shigru and Neem is more useful in Netragata vyadhis. Shigru and Neem is Chakshushya easily available and more economical to patients. So I am going to study the effect of Shigru Neem Bidalaka as mentioned in Bhavaprakash.
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.
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