DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for cellulitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 31-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleCellulitis maps to a 31-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 cellulitis 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
transmembrane serine protease 11E (TMPRSS11E) — TMPRSS11E 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 bendrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 2OQ5 · 1.61 Å · ligand BENZAMIDINE (BEN). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a three-year retrospective analysis of 123 hospitalised cellulitis patients at the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, 28.45% had erysipelas (superficial type) and 71.55% had deep cellulitis. Men accounted for 56.09% of cases, mean age was 50.22 years. Patients received a mean of 5.12 days of outpatient treatment before admission and stayed in hospital for a mean of 13.33 days. Risk factors were present in 71.54% of cases. Lower limb involvement was most common (71.56%), followed by head or neck (13.08%), upper limb (12.19%), and trunk (3.25%). Recurrence occurred in 4.8% of patients with risk factors. Blood cultures were positive in 27.64% of cases. Empirical antibiotics were started in all patients; in 62.60% the first choice was a lincosamide.
The 2013 and 2023 articles cited are review or educational pieces. The 2013 text defines cellulitis as inflammation of loose connective tissue, usually bacterial, and distinguishes erysipelas as a more superficial form. The 2023 article is the third part of a series on skin and soft tissue infections and uses a case-based approach to diagnosis and management; it provides no new patient data, no treatment outcomes, and no comparative efficacy results.
No abstract reports a controlled trial, a repurposed drug, or a quantitative comparison of treatments. The 2012 study is observational and single-centre, with no follow-up data on treatment failure, adverse events, or long-term recurrence beyond the 4.8% noted. What remains missing is any randomised evidence comparing antibiotic classes, any trial of drug repurposing for cellulitis, and any prospective data that stratifies patients by pathogen, comorbidity, or infection depth to guide therapy beyond empirical lincosamide use.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Medical Archives · 2012 · 18 citations
Cellulitis - Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Cellulitis is acute skin infection and/or infection of subcutaneous tissue, mostly caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Clinical preview is usually obvious and enough for diagnosis. Tretment is antimicrobial therapy. In recurrent cases a prophylaxis is very often needed. OBJECTIVES: Analysis some of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of cellulitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical documentation of patients with clinical preview of cellulitis who were hospitalized in Clinic for infective diseases of Clinical Center of University of Sarajevo in last three years. RESULTS: In period of three years 123 patients were hospitalized with clinical preview of cellulitis in the broadest sense of the word. In 123 of cellulitises, 35/123 (28.45%) were erisipelases-superficial type and 88/123 (71,55%) were deep cellulitises. Men were more affected 56,09%, average of age was 50.22 years. Before hospitalization patients had ambulance treatment in average of 5.12 days, and hospitalization was long in average of 13.33 days. Risk factors wich contributes to the disease were found in 71.54% of cases. Due to localisation, skin disorders on lower limb were the most frequent 71.56%, cellulitis of upper limb were found in 12.19%, head and/or neck in 13.08%, trunk in 3.25%. Repetition of disease were found in 4.8% in patients wtih risk factors. Bacteremic isolats were confirmed in 27.64% of cases. In all patients empirical antibiotic treatment were started, in the 62.60% the first choice of medicine was antibiotic from the group of lincosamides. CONCLUSION: Cellulitis is very serious disease that can be prevented.
AbstractCELLULITIS is inflammation of loose connective tissue usually with a bacterial cause. It mostly refers to inflammation of subcutaneous layer of the skin. A related term “erysipelas” describes cellulitis that affects the more superficial components of the skin (ie, the dermis and upper subcutaneous tissue) [1]. Cellulitis commonly seen in community pharmacy often results from […]
Delving into skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). Part III: focus on cellulitis
AbstractIn this third part of a series of articles (Part I WCET® Journal Volume 36 Number 2 – April/June 2016: PP29-34; Part II WCET® Journal Volume 37 Number 3 – July/September 2017: PP20-24) on skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), cellulitis syndromes are explored. A case-based approach to the diagnosis and management of cellulitis for clinicians is discussed.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2018 · 0 citations · open access
Cellulitis Disease - An Overview
Abstract<em>C</em><em>ellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin presenting with poorly demarcated edema, warmth, and tenderness in common. Although it can be a diagnostic and therapeutic treatment challenge in world wide. In this review the pathophysiology, Microbiology types, causes, sign and symptoms, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cellulitis have been discussed. The approach to types, Diagnosis, treatment is review and the importance of clinical mimics of cellulitis is highlighted. An approach to empirical treatment is presented with recent recommendations from the WHO. Cellulitis is an infection of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue, presenting with expanding warmth, tenderness, and swelling. Cellulitis is a common global (as well as India) health burden, with more than 1,00000 admissions per year in the India and 85,000 admission in United States of America.</em> <strong>Keywords: </strong><em>Cellulitis disease, Causes, Sign and Symptoms, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Treatment.</em>
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.
