DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for bronchus cancer — screening already-approved drugs against its 14-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleBronchus cancer maps to a 14-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 bronchus cancer 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
cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily A member 6 (CYP2A6) — CYP2A6 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…
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RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1Z10 · 1.9 Å · ligand PROTOPORPHYRIN IX CONTAINING FE (HEM). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
The abstracts span nine decades and describe a disease spectrum that has changed classification over time, from the 1930s and 1940s distinction between bronchial adenoma and carcinoma to the modern four-group classification of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours. The 2011 review notes that typical and atypical bronchial carcinoids are generally indolent but carry a low metastatic potential, and that their pathogenesis is poorly understood. It identifies several intracellular signalling pathways under investigation for new drug targets but offers no clinical efficacy data. The 2021 review of benign bronchopulmonary tumours similarly provides no therapeutic outcome data, focusing instead on pathological differentiation from malignant neoplasms.
The only quantitative survival data come from a 1983 study of 70 patients with small cell carcinoma of the bronchus referred to an oncology service. Median survival for the entire group was 221 days, with treatments including radiotherapy, single-agent chemotherapy, and combined modality treatment. Metastatic site did not influence outcome except as a sole extrathoracic site of disease. No response rates or comparative survival by treatment arm are given, and the authors discuss only the biologic implications of the results. A 2015 qualitative study of 19 patients with bronchial carcinoma reported that chemotherapy causes a high burden in everyday life, with patient preferences centred on reducing waiting times, improving information about side effects, and clarity about changing physicians; no survival or response data are reported.
The older papers are historical context. The 1944 study of seven cases of bronchial adenoma argues for distinguishing these from carcinoma on prognostic grounds, while the 1930 surgical paper notes that most bronchial neoplasms are diagnosed too late for radical removal and that early cases are often too close to the hilus for surgery. The 1950 monograph review denies the existence of primary alveolar cell carcinoma and discusses cancerogenesis theories. None of these older sources report drug treatment outcomes.
What is missing is any modern prospective trial data for drug therapy in bronchial carcinoids specifically, as opposed to small cell carcinoma. The 2011 review calls for further research on "already known but promising drug options" without naming them or providing evidence. No randomised controlled trials, no biomarker-stratified patient cohorts, and no quality-of-life endpoints tied to specific drug regimens appear in these abstracts. The field lacks a funded, adequately powered trial that separates typical from atypical carcinoids and measures progression-free survival against a control arm.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets · 2011 · 17 citations
The molecular pathogenesis and management of bronchial carcinoids
AbstractINTRODUCTION: In terms of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), the lung is the second most common site of occurrence, after the gastro-entero-pancreatic axis, and comprises ∼ 25% of all NETs which may occur in various parts of the body. Pulmonary NETs are classified into four groups including typical carcinoid tumors, atypical carcinoid tumors, small cell lung carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas. Among pulmonary NETs, typical and atypical carcinoid tumors of the lung are generally indolent, but do have a (albeit low) potential to metastasize. AREAS COVERED: The molecular biology and novel molecular pathways and drug targets in bronchial carcinoids are reviewed in this paper. A full data search is performed through PubMed over the years 2000 - 2010 with key words 'neuroendocrine tumors of the lung, bronchial carcinoid, lung carcinoid, foregut carcinoid, pulmonary carcinoid, pulmonary NETs, lung NETs, molecular biology, autoradiography, nuclear medicine, treatment'; all relevant publications are included, together with selected publications prior to that date. EXPERT OPINION: Although lying at the benign end of the spectrum of pulmonary NETs, bronchial carcinoids can metastasize, and the pathogenesis of these tumors is poorly understood. Several intracellular signaling pathways are under investigation to define new targets for the successful treatment of these tumors. In terms of treatment, further research should additionally focus on the already known but promising drug options.
Adenoma of the Bronchus: A Clinical and Roentgenologic Study with a Report of Seven Cases
AbstractThe large majority of primary bronchial neoplasms are malignant. The internist and the roentgenologist are encountering cases of bronchiogenic carcinoma with ever increasing frequency, and indeed it is now recognized that this tumor is among the commonest of malignant growths, occurring more often in autopsy series than any type except gastric cancer. It is also interesting to note that carcinoma of the bronchus has in the past twenty-five or thirty years increased in incidence to a considerably greater extent than can be accounted for by the advance of the average life expectancy. More significant for the clinician than the increasing occurrence of bronchial tumors, however, is the fact that during the past twenty years rapid progress has been made in the development of more accurate diagnostic means of identifying the condition in its early stages. Moreover, the recent strides of the thoracic surgeons have made it possible in suitable cases to treat cancer of the bronchus by removal of an entire lung, and it has now been clearly and repeatedly demonstrated that at least a few of these lesions may be cured by prompt radical surgery if the diagnosis is established sufficiently early. Thus, with improvement of both diagnosis and the methods of attack, bronchiogenic neoplasms are no longer of solely pathological interest but also constitute a challenge to the ingenuity of the clinician. Benign bronchial tumors, though much less common than the carcinomata, are by no means rare. Several types have been described, including adenoma, chondroma, fibroma, lipoma, and a few other unusual varieties. The so-called bronchial adenoma accounts for about 80 per cent of the group of benign growths and is therefore by far its most important member. This condition has been the subject of many controversies regarding its histologic origin, its potential malignancy and relationship to carcinoma of the bronchus, and its proper treatment. We shall maintain in this discussion that, regardless of pathologic terminology, the disease which has been generally known as “bronchial adenoma” fits into a fairly definite clinical pattern and that its prognosis is quite different from that of cancer. We believe, therefore, that it is of importance to attempt a distinction between these neoplasms and that only in the light of such a distinction can the risks of the various possible therapeutic measures be properly weighed at the present time. Historical Prior to 1932, adenoma of the bronchus was not clearly distinguished as an entity. Review of the earlier literature reveals a good many case reports of tumors which can be recognized as belonging in this group, which were described as carcinoma, adenomatous polyp, vascular adenoma, etc., or were thought to be inflammatory polypi with epithelial metaplasia. Mueller, in 1882, gave the first clear description of a bronchial adenoma discovered at autopsy. Occasional similar reports followed.
<i>Bronchiogenic Carcinoma and Adenoma</i>, with a Chapter on Mediastinal Tumors.
AbstractThe author of this monograph is well qualified to write on the subject of bronchiogenic carcinoma. His observations are based on an extensive personal experience with pulmonary neoplasms, and he has assembled together in one volume the conclusions reached by many authorities who have written about bronchiogenic carcinoma. Dr. Fried devotes considerable space to a discussion of the increasing incidence of cancer of the lung and concludes that this increase is more apparent than real. The discussion of the histogenesis of bronchial cancer and its classification is orthodox. The existence of primary alveolar cell carcinoma is denied. A rather lengthy chapter is devoted to the various theories of cancerogenesis in general and the etiology of bronchiogenic carcinoma in particular. A special supplementary chapter deals with the relationship between pulmonary tuberculosis and cancer of the lung. Those chapters devoted to the clinical manifestations and to the metastasis of pulmonary carcinoma are
AbstractThe vast majority of tumours arising in the bronchopulmonary system are malignant in nature. Benign tumours of the lung are relatively rare and are often incidental findings during clinical investigations for unrelated conditions. These lesions can arise in the bronchial tree or the pulmonary parenchyma and may be of epithelial, mesenchymal, salivary gland-type or unknown differentiation. Although the spectrum of these lesions is wide, the clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the most relevant will be the subject of this review. In addition, the most important features allowing differentiation from malignant pulmonary neoplasms will be discussed.
American Journal of Clinical Oncology · 1983 · 2 citations
Small cell carcinoma of bronchus
AbstractSeventy patients who had been referred to an oncology service during the past decade for management of small cell carcinoma of the bronchus were studied to determine survival in relation to different types of therapy as well as patterns of disease. Median survival for the entire group was 221 days. Treatments included radiotherapy, single agent chemotherapy, and combined modality treatment. Sites of metastatic disease did not influence outcome except as a sole extrathoracic site of disease. The biologic implications of these results are discussed.
European Journal of Public Health · 2015 · 0 citations · open access
Treatment-related experiences and preferences of patients with bronchial carcinoma
AbstractBackground Bronchial carcinoma is one of the most common tumor localizations. The disease is very challenging for the patients and can cause physical complaints and may have a strong influence on the patients’ family lives. Thus, there is need to optimize the treatment paths and patterns with respect to patients‘ needs and preferences. Chemotherapy is the most frequent treatment option. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the treatment-related experiences and preferences of patients with bronchial carcinoma to derive concrete measures for improving patients care. Methods The study employs a qualitative research design with guideline-based interviews. 19 patients with bronchial carcinoma were being interviewed between June and July 2013. The sample is heterogeneous regarding age, sex, burden and type of disease and therapies. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results The interviews are very informative in understanding the patients‘ therapy experiences and to find out preferences concerning the improvement of the treatment. Two main aspects with subthemes could be identified during the interviews. One aspect focused on the organizational context like the process during the treatment day or the experiences with different stakeholders (health insurance or physicians). The other category referred on experiences that influence the psychosocial factors (physical and mental experiences). Improvements should be made in the following areas: waiting time, information for side effects, information about changing physicians. Conclusion Patients report a wide range of therapy experiences and have different preferences. Nevertheless, the study provides a couple of hints for improving care and design therapy patterns in line with patients’ preferences. In sum, this study shows that with small changes, which are not very time consuming or costly, the treatment of lung cancer patients can be improved Key messages Chemotherapy causes a high burden to the patient with bronchial carcinoma in everyday life The integration of the patients’ experiences and preferences could help to improve the treatment and therefore improve the satisfaction of the patients
Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 1930 · 0 citations
BRONCHIAL NEOPLASMS: SURGICAL ASPECTS
AbstractKnowledge of diseases of the thoracic organs and the application of surgical measures in the treatment for certain of these diseases have made rapid advancement in recent years. Neoplasms of the bronchus and of the lung have not escaped attention, as may be judged from the voluminous literature on this subject, but little progress seems to have been made in the treatment for these growths by external surgical procedures. When the matter is analyzed, the explanation is obvious. First, the vast majority of these cases are not diagnosed until late, and second, the cases that are diagnosed early are usually those in which the growth is seen through the bronchoscope, and, therefore, situated so close to the hilus of the lung as to forbid an attempt at radical removal. I shall limit my presentation to the surgical aspects of primary malignant neoplasms of the bronchus, without entering into
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works using Disease Ontology synonyms, resolved on OpenAlex.
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