DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for carbuncle — 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 moduleCarbuncle 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 carbuncle 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
spleen associated tyrosine kinase (SYK) — SYK 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 anpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4FL3 · 1.9 Å · ligand PHOSPHOAMINOPHOSPHONIC ACID-ADENYLATE ESTER (ANP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2019 case report describes a back carbuncle treated with 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy administered three times, with reported subsidence of inflammation and wound healing; the report provides no control, no quantitative outcome measure, and concerns a single patient. A 2022 case report of chronic hidradenitis suppurativa in a 26-year-old woman with recurrent axillary carbuncles for ten years, refractory to antibiotics, multiple excisions with drainage, and isotretinoin, describes treatment with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (7.5 Gy in 3 fractions) covering ulcers and pus tracts; on the last day of radiation the carbuncles and wounds at the left axilla showed much improvement without pus, and at three months follow-up the skin was smoother without pus or odour. This is again a single case, with no long-term follow-up beyond three months and no comparison arm.
A 2023 study from Jinnah Hospital Karachi compared deroofing in 88 patients with carbuncle and cruciate incision in 122 patients, with follow-up around one year. In the deroofing group, 30 of 88 treated carbuncles (the abstract states 17 percent, an internal inconsistency) showed a repeat after a mean of 4.6 months, while 73 treated carbuncles (83 percent) showed no repeat after median follow-up of 12 months; median patient satisfaction ranked 8 on a 0–10 scale, and 90 percent of cured patients would recommend deroofing. One adverse effect of postoperative blood loss occurred. In the cruciate incision group, 69 percent of respondents reported that cruciate incision frequently or often needed anaesthesia, 82 percent said carbuncles were sometimes left unattended until overnight due to lack of tools, 79 percent of physicians said pus samples are usually taken, 44 percent rarely or never pursued the end results, 31 percent of responding centres had a carbuncle treatment protocol, and 82 percent would usually pack the carbuncle wound post-operatively. The abstract concludes that cruciate incision is probably the most popular method and that deroofing is an effective, simple, tissue-saving therapy for mild-to-moderate carbuncles at set locations, but the data are observational, the percentages are internally inconsistent, and no statistical comparison of recurrence or satisfaction between the two groups is provided.
Older and surgical literature is less encouraging. A 1937 paper contrasts dermatologic and surgical treatment of carbuncles and furuncles, criticising a surgeon's presentation of a patient with a facial carbuncle disfigured by an extensive crucial incision scar covering almost the whole side of the face; the authors state they have never found it necessary to achieve such a result. A 1976 letter describes a patient with a carbuncle on the left palm within a widespread follicular pyoderma, with a history of a full-thickness skin graft from the abdomen to the palm; the infection responded to drainage and systemic antibiotic therapy. A 2018 case report describes a 57-year-old Saudi man with a neglected huge carbuncle of the neck complicated by intracranial extension into the posterior cranial fossa, treated with simultaneous excision, debridement of necrotic tissue, and evacuation of the intracranial abscess by general and neurosurgical teams, with uneventful recovery and discharge home. A 2023 case report describes a 62-year-old male with a 5-cm posterior neck carbuncle discovered intraoperatively to have severe necrotising fasciitis during saucerization; he required intensive care admission, combined debridement by General Surgery, Neurosurgery and Plastic Surgery, and trapezius flap reconstruction, with recovery and full neck movement at three months. A 2023 review states that carbuncle is a confluent folliculitis commonly seen on the back of immunocompromised patients, that hospital admission with aggressive systemic and local treatment is necessary, that optimisation of co-morbidities such as diabetes, adequate hydration, and antibiotics are the mainstay of initial treatment, and that surgical debridement and desloughing followed by wound care is the next line of management, with patient education at discharge for prevention of recurrence.
What is missing is any randomised or controlled trial of deroofing versus cruciate incision with consistent outcome definitions, any prospective data on photodynamic
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy · 2019 · 7 citations · open access
Satisfactory response of a back carbuncle to 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy: A case report
AbstractCarbuncle, a collection of interconnected furuncles with multiple pustular openings, is usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In this condition, both skin and subcutaneous tissue of the lesion show severe inflammation. It often occurs in immunocompromized patients such as those with diabetes, nephritis, malnutrition, heart failure, hypogammaglobulinemia, exfoliative dermatitis, or pemphigus or those using corticosteroids for long-term. Antibiotics and aggressive debridement are the primary recommended treatments for carbuncle. We report a case of carbuncle that received satisfactory response, in which the inflammation subsided and the wound healed after the administration of ALA photodynamic therapy for three times.
Radiation therapy in chronic hidradenitis suppurativa: case report
AbstractA 26-year-old female presented recurrent painful, carbuncles at both axillae for 10 years. It caused offensive odor and scar. Tissue diagnosis was chronic hidradenitis suppurativa. She was treated using antibiotics followed by multiple excisions with drainage but showed no improvement. Isotretinoin provided no benefit. She was socially isolated and experienced lower quality of life. Consequently, she was sent for radiation therapy. Computed tomography simulation was performed revealing an ulcer with deep chronic pus tracts at her axilla. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy was provided with 6 MV photon (7.5 Gy in 3 fractions) covering all ulcers and pus tracts. On the last day of radiation therapy, carbuncles and wounds at the left axilla exhibited much improvement without pus. Three months follow-up showed much improvement of the lesions. The skin was smoother without pus or odor. Radiation therapy was confirmed one treatment option for chronic hidradenitis suppurativa.
DERMATOLOGIC VERSUS SURGICAL TREATMENT OF CARBUNCLES AND FURUNCLES
AbstractIn view of the fact that carbuncles and furuncles are such relatively common and well understood conditions, it is surprising that diametrically opposed methods of treatment are practiced. The incident which inspired this investigation was the demonstration of a patient by a surgeon at a hospital staff meeting. The case was presented to illustrate a successful and satisfactory outcome of the treatment of a carbuncle of the side of the face. The patient was alive, it is true, but his face was disfigured by an extensive crucial incision scar covering almost the whole side of the face. One of the authors who attended the staff meeting expressed the opinion that if a dermatologist had achieved such a result as the consequence of treating a carbuncle he would have preferred keeping the patient hidden rather than presenting him as an outcome to be proud of. We have never found it necessary
AbstractTo the Editor.— The interesting report by Jackson et al (Arch Dermatol111:1146, 1975) on inherited hairy palms and soles prompts me to describe a patient who had a carbuncle on his left palm as part of a widespread follicular pyoderma. As the photograph shows, his little finger is missing, but all thoughts of a further genetic disorder were soon dispelled by the history. As a child, he had injured his right hand severely, losing the little finger and a substantial area of palmar skin. A plastic surgeon took full-thickness skin from the lower part of the abdomen and grafted the palmar defect. In adult life, with the development of body hair, the graft also became hairy but functioned well until the infection developed. This responded to drainage and systemic antibiotic therapy.
International Surgery Journal · 2018 · 5 citations · open access
Huge carbuncle of the neck with intracranial extension: a case report
AbstractA carbuncle is a coalescence of several inflamed follicles into a single inflammatory mass with purulent drainage from multiple sinuses. They can develop in healthy individuals with no predisposing conditions or in immune-compromised ones. Author are presenting a case report of 57 years old Saudi presented with neglected huge carbuncle of the neck that was found complicated with intracranial extension in the posterior cranial fossa. He underwent successful simultaneous excision of the carbuncle and debridement of gross necrotic tissues; together with evacuation of the intracranial abscess. Both general and neurosurgical teams were involved. Patient made uneventful recovery and discharged home in good condition.
Journal of Surgical Case Reports · 2023 · 2 citations · open access
Posterior cervical necrotising fasciitis: a multidisciplinary endeavour in surgery
AbstractA 62-year-old male was diagnosed to the Emergency Department with 5-cm posterior neck carbuncle, and was subsequently discovered to have severe necrotising fasciitis intraoperatively during saucerization of the carbuncle. Subsequently, the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and underwent combined debridement by the General Surgery, Neurosurgery and Plastic Surgery team. The large defect necessitated a trapezius flap reconstruction for coverage. Three months post-surgery, the patient had recovered well with the full range of movement of his neck.
Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
Comparison of Deroofing and Cruciate Incision for Carbuncles
AbstractBackground: A carbuncle can be described as a cluster of boils, uncomfortable, and pus filled bumps - which develop a linked part of infection below the skin. A boil is known as a hurtful, pus-filled bump which created beneath your skin when harmful bacteria invade and irritate a number of the hair roots. Deroofing is regarded as a tissue saving method where the roof of a carbuncle, sinus, or cyst system is electro-operatively eradicated. The management of carbuncles is early usage of anti-biotic and surgical treatment. The surgical method used in the research is the deroofing and cruciate incision. Aim and Objective: In this research, the author desired to examine the effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and comparison of the deroofing and cruciate incision method of carbuncles. Methods: Open research included deroofed lesions in 88 sufferers with carbuncle as well as 122 with cruciate incision, managed through the clinicians of Jinnah Hospital Karachi Surgical Ward with a follow-up duration of around one year. Results: In deroofing, 30 of 88 (17 Percent) treated carbuncles revealed a repeat after a mean of 4.6 months. In most, Seventy-three treated carbuncles (83 %) didn't show a repeat after the median follow-up of 12 months. The median sufferer satisfaction, along with the method, ranked 8 on a scale from 0 to 10. From the cured sufferers, 90 % would suggest the deroofing method to other sufferers with carbuncle. One adverse effect took place in the shape of postoperative blood loss. In cruciate incision, 122 reactions had been gathered from Jinnah Hospital Karachi Surgical Ward. Of these participants, sixty-nine Percent revealed that cruciate incision might frequently or even often need Anesthesia for the procedure, as well as eighty-two per cent, showed that carbuncles were in some cases left unattended until overnight because of a deficiency of tools. Although seventy-nine per cent of physicians mentioned that pus samples are usually or in many cases taken, forty-four per cent of participants rarely or never pursued the end results. The primary signs of anti-biotic were sepsis, sick sufferers, and cellulitis. Thirty-one % of responding centers had a carbuncle treatment protocol, and eighty-two % of participants proved that they'd usually pack the carbuncle injury post operatively Practical Implication: The comparison of deroofing and cruciate incision for carbuncles holds practical implications that can positively impact the community by guiding treatment decisions, improving patient outcomes, optimizing resource allocation, reducing the healthcare burden, and advancing surgical practices in the field of carbuncle management. Conclusion: The cruciate incision is probably the most popular method of surgical treatment of cruciate incision. The deroofing strategy is also an effective, simple, non-invasive, tissue saving medical therapy to treat mild-to-moderate carbuncles at set locations, and it's appropriate as an office process. Keywords: Deroofing, Cruciate, Incision Carbuncles . patient satisfaction, surgery, effectiveness
International Journal of Surgery Science · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
Carbuncle: A challenging infective lesion
AbstractCarbuncle is a confluent folliculitis that is infection affecting multiple hair follicles leading to multiple sinuses discharging pus. It is commonly seen on the back of immuno-compromised patients. Admission to hospital with aggressive treatment, both systemic and locally is necessary. Optimisation of co-morbidities such as diabetes, adequate hydration, and antibiotics and are mainstay of initial treatment. Surgical intervention in the form of debridement and desloughing followed by wound care is the next line of management. Patient education at the time of discharge is necessary for prevention of recurrence.
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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