DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Buruli ulcer disease — 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 moduleBuruli ulcer disease 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 buruli ulcer 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
solute carrier family 11 member 1 (SLC11A1) — SLC11A1 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 9F6P · 3.7 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A national case search in Ghana identified 5,619 Buruli ulcer patients with 6,332 clinical lesions. The crude national prevalence of active lesions was 20.7 per 100,000, rising to 150.8 per 100,000 in the most endemic district. The search revealed widespread disease and gross underreporting compared to routine surveillance. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Buruli ulcer is described as a real but poorly known public health problem, an emerging threat in rural inter-tropical regions that often leads to extensive destruction of skin and soft tissues, permanent deformity, and disability.
In a mouse footpad model, the minimum inhibitory concentration of the experimental drug Q203 against Mycobacterium ulcerans was extremely low, between 0.000075 and 0.00015 μg/ml. Footpad swelling decreased more rapidly in mice treated with regimens containing Q203 than in mice treated with the standard combination of rifampicin and streptomycin or with rifapentine and clofazimine. Nearly all footpads were culture negative after only two weeks of treatment with regimens combining rifapentine, clofazimine, and Q203. No relapse was detected after two weeks of treatment in any mouse receiving a Q203-containing regimen. In contrast, 15% of mice receiving rifampicin and streptomycin for four weeks relapsed. The authors conclude it may be possible to cure patients in 14 days or less using Q203-containing regimens, rather than the currently recommended 56-day regimens.
Buruli ulcer is a chronic, indolent, necrotising disease of skin and soft tissue, the third most common mycobacterial disease of immunocompetent hosts after tuberculosis and leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. A re-emergence of cases over the last two decades led to the 1998 WHO Buruli Ulcer Initiative and a World Health Assembly resolution, which have stimulated ongoing research into diagnosis, pathogenesis, and effective treatment. What remains missing are clinical trials in humans to confirm whether the dramatic shortening of treatment seen in mice translates to patients, along with the funding and infrastructure needed to conduct such trials in the remote, resource-poor settings where the disease is endemic, and any validated method for stratifying patients by disease severity or likelihood of relapse.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Buruli Ulcer in Ghana: Results of a National Case Search
AbstractA national search for cases of Buruli ulcer in Ghana identified 5,619 patients, with 6,332 clinical lesions at various stages. The overall crude national prevalence rate of active lesions was 20.7 per 100,000, but the rate was 150.8 per 100,000 in the most disease-endemic district. The case search demonstrated widespread disease and gross underreporting compared with the routine reporting system. The epidemiologic information gathered will contribute to the design of control programs for Buruli ulcer.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy · 2019 · 36 citations · open access
Shortening Buruli Ulcer Treatment with Combination Therapy Targeting the Respiratory Chain and Exploiting Mycobacterium ulcerans Gene Decay
Abstractto Q203 and evaluated the treatment-shortening potential of novel 3- and 4-drug regimens combining RPT, CFZ, Q203, and/or BDQ in a mouse footpad model. The MIC of Q203 was extremely low (0.000075 to 0.00015 μg/ml). Footpad swelling decreased more rapidly in mice treated with Q203-containing regimens than in mice treated with RIF and STR (RIF+STR) and RPT and CFZ (RPT+CFZ). Nearly all footpads were culture negative after only 2 weeks of treatment with regimens containing RPT, CFZ, and Q203. No relapse was detected after only 2 weeks of treatment in mice treated with any of the Q203-containing regimens. In contrast, 15% of mice receiving RIF+STR for 4 weeks relapsed. We conclude that it may be possible to cure patients with Buruli ulcer in 14 days or less using Q203-containing regimens rather than currently recommended 56-day regimens.
American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research · 2019 · 1 citations · open access
Surveillance of the Buruli Ulcer in The Democratic Republic of Congo (Drc): Preliminary Results (2016-2018)
AbstractBuruli ulcer (BU) poses a real public health problem that is not well known, calling for international mobilization [1-3]. It is an emerging threat to public health in many rural, inter-tropical regions [1-3]. The infection often leads to extensive destruction of the skin and soft tissues, with extensive ulceration usually on the limbs and may result in permanent deformity and disability [1-4].
The Internet Journal of Surgery · 2009 · 0 citations
A Case of an Atypical Mycobacterial Ulcer Following an Intramuscular Injection
AbstractBuruli ulcer is a chronic, indolent, necrotizing disease of the skin and soft tissue. Buruli ulcer is the third most common mycobacterial disease of immunocompetent hosts, after tuberculosis and leprosy, and is caused by toxin-producing mycobacteria named Mycobacterium ulcerans. Over the last 2 decades, a re-emergence of cases has occurred, leading to the 1998 World Health Organization (WHO) Buruli Ulcer Initiative and the Fifty-Seventh World Health Assembly Resolution on Buruli Ulcer, which have stimulated ongoing research into diagnosis, pathogenesis, and effective 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.
