DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for capillary hemangioma — screening already-approved drugs against its 17-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleCapillary hemangioma maps to a 17-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 capillary hemangioma 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
NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase (NRAS) — NRAS 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 gdpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6ZIO · 1.55 Å · ligand GUANOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (GDP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 1963 study of 55 children with 83 cutaneous capillary hemangiomas who received no treatment found that 54 lesions regressed completely, 24 were still regressing at follow-up, and only 5 failed to regress but remained stationary. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 9 years. The authors concluded that conservative management is wise for most cutaneous capillary hemangiomas in infants and children. A 2008 case report of a 7-week-old boy with a giant intracranial capillary hemangioma and enlarged head circumference noted that the natural behaviour of extracranial capillary hemangiomas suggests a conservative approach with follow-up and steroid therapy may be considered, though in that case the tumour was resected after endovascular embolization.
A 2021 prospective study of 30 children with periocular capillary hemangioma treated with low-dose oral propranolol reported a mean presenting age of 6.36 months (range 3–24 months) and 70% female predominance. The starting dose was 1 mg/kg, increased to 2 mg/kg maintenance, then tapered. Treatment continued until age 1 year or no further change. Mean pretreatment lesion size was 1.60 cm², post-treatment 0.30 cm² (p < 0.0005). One third of patients showed 100% resolution, 50% showed 70% to 90% resolution. Most children (33.3%) responded completely within 5 months. No significant adverse effects were reported. However, the study excluded children under 3 months and those with multiple lesions, and 86.6% of cases already had central steady and maintained vision at presentation.
What remains missing is a randomised controlled trial comparing propranolol to observation or steroid therapy, particularly for intracranial or non-periocular sites. The natural history data from 1963 suggests many lesions regress without intervention, so the benefit of active treatment over watchful waiting is not quantified. No cost-effectiveness analysis has been published, and the optimal dose, duration, and age at treatment initiation are not established by controlled data. Patient stratification by lesion size, location, or growth trajectory has not been prospectively validated.
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 Neurosurgery Pediatrics · 2008 · 37 citations
Giant intracranial capillary hemangioma associated with enlarged head circumference in a newborn
AbstractThe authors describe the case of a patient with an intracranial capillary hemangioma, and they review the recent literature on intracranial capillary hemangiomas with special attention to their differential diagnosis and management. The only sign in this 7-week-old boy was head enlargement. There were no neurological deficits, and imaging revealed a large intracranial lesion in the right temporal fossa. The results of biopsy confirmed the diagnosis, and, after endovascular embolization, the entire lesion was resected. The incidence of intracranial capillary hemangioma is very low but may be underestimated. In the present case, the size of the tumor prompted surgical treatment. The natural behavior of extracranial capillary hemangiomas, however, suggests that a conservative approach with follow-up and steroid therapy may also be considered.
Conservative Management of Cutaneous Capillary Hemangioma
AbstractFifty-five children with 83 cutaneous capillary hemangiomas who received no treatment were followed up for periods ranging from 3 to 9 years. Of the 83 lesions, 54 regressed completely; and 24 lesions were still undergoing active regression. Five lesions failed to regress, but remained stationary in size and caused the patients little discomfort. These findings indicate the wisdom of conservative management of the majority of cutaneous capillary hemangiomas in infants and children.
Archives of Pathology and Clinical Research · 2021 · 1 citations · open access
Periocular capillary hemangioma treated with low dose oral propranolol - presentation and outcome of 30 patients
AbstractPurpose: To evaluate the presentation and outcome of periocular capillary hemangioma treated with low-dose oral propranolol. Method: Thirty cases of periocular capillary hemangioma prospectively studied from 1st June 2015 to 31st May 2017 who received oral propranolol on an outpatient basis. Hemangioma causing any threat to vision or disfigurement was included and age below 3 months and multiple lesions were excluded. Starting dose of propranolol was 1 mg/kg and increased to 2 mg/kg after 2 weeks as a maintenance dose. The tapering dose was 1 mg/kg of body weight before discontinuing the medication. Treatment was continued till the child is 1 year of age or no further change in color or size of the lesion in two successive follow-ups. Results: Presenting age was 6.36 ± 3.36 months (ranged 3–24 months) with female predominance (70%). In 86.6% of cases, the vision was Central Steady and Maintained and cycloplegic refraction showed marked astigmatism in 3 children which resolved after treatment. Forty-six percent of children showed color change as an initial response to treatment. Most children (33.3%) responded completely within 5 months after starting the treatment. One third patients (33.3%) showed 100% resolution, 50% showed 90% to 70% resolution. Pretreatment and post-treatment lesion size was1.60 ± 0.86 cm2 and 0.30 ± 0.40 cm2 respectively (p - value < 0.0005). None showed any significant adverse effect of oral propranolol. Conclusion: Low-dose oral propranolol is an effective and cost-effective treatment modality for periocular capillary hemangioma and is safe as an outpatient basis.
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.
