DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for cervical squamous cell carcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 48-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleCervical squamous cell carcinoma maps to a 48-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 cervical squamous cell carcinoma 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
mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) — MAPK1 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 2~{s}drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8AOJ · 1.12 Å · ligand 1-[(2~{S})-2-(5-methyl-3-pyridin-4-yl-1~{H}-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrrolidin-1-yl]propan-1-one (N8L). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2023 review notes that immunologic checkpoint inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates have shown activity in locally advanced and recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer, particularly in first-line and second-line treatment for recurrence. The review states that these medicines have demonstrable activity, durable responses, and tolerable side effects, and that these data underpin U.S. regulatory approval. The review does not report specific response rates, survival figures, or sample sizes.
A 2024 case report describes a 33-year-old woman with non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma who developed a 6 cm abdominal wall metastasis three months after radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. The metastasis was treated with abdominal wall reconstruction surgery. The report concludes that the best treatment for cervical cancer remains unknown due to the rarity of abdominal metastases, and that treatment is individualised based on disease severity and presence of metastases.
A 1995 preliminary study enrolled 22 patients with advanced cervical carcinoma (16 stage IIIB, 5 stage IIB) and treated them with concomitant chemoradiotherapy: pelvic radiotherapy (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions) plus intracavitary brachytherapy, combined with etoposide 100 mg/m², cisplatin 50 mg/m², and bleomycin 25 mg/m²/day given every two weeks during external irradiation. All 21 eligible patients achieved complete response, sustained over a median follow-up of 12 months. Initially elevated tumour markers (SCC, CEA, CA-125) returned to normal. The authors report that toxicity was well tolerated. They note that long-term follow-up is mandatory and that a randomised trial to confirm superiority was planned.
What is still missing is long-term follow-up data from the 1995 regimen, randomised trial results that would confirm its superiority, and any evidence from the 2023 review or the 2024 case report that repurposed drugs improve survival in squamous cervical carcinoma specifically. No trial has yet stratified patients by histology or by molecular subtype, and funding for such trials in resource-poor communities, where the disease burden is highest, remains inadequate.
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 Gynecologic Oncology · 2023 · 19 citations · open access
Recent breakthroughs in the management of locally advanced and recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer
AbstractCervical cancer continues to be a global threat affecting individuals in resource poor communities disproportionately. The treatment paradigm for this disease is ever evolving with recent innovations propelling oncologic outcomes to a new frontier offering survival benefits for patients struggling with locally advanced disease and metastatic/recurrent carcinoma. Immunologic checkpoint inhibitors and anti-body drug conjugates represent two novel drug classes that have demonstrable activity in this disease, particularly in the first-line and second-line treatment paradigm for recurrence. The tolerability of these novel medicines and associated durable responses underscore regulatory approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations and their implementation in clinic.
Journal of Biomedicine and Translational Research · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cervical Uterine Metastasis in Abdominal Wall: A Rare Case Report
AbstractABSTRACTBackground: About 80% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. After severe surgery for squamous cervical cancer, abdominal metastasis is an uncommon occurrence.Case Presentation: A 33-year-old lady was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. The histopathological examination showed non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma moderately differentiated. A 6 cm suggestive metastatic mass from abdominal region came up three months later after the surgery. An abdominal wall reconstruction surgery was conducted as the treatment for the metastasis mass.Conclusion: The best course of treatment for cervical cancer is still unknown due to the rarity of abdominal metastases. Depending on the severity of the illness and the existence of metastases, each patient receives a unique course of treatment.Keywords: squamous cell carcinoma, hysterectomy, cervical malignancies
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics · 1995 · 0 citations
Concomitant chemoradiotherapy for advanced epidermoid carcinoma of the uterine cervix: A preliminary report
AbstractBACKGROUND: Because the prognosis of advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix is poor, and has improved very little in the last 20 years, a prospective study was initiated to evaluate the feasibility, response and toxicities of concomitant chemoradiotherapy for such cervical cancer. METHODS: From May 1992 to December 1992, 22 patients entered the study, 21 of them completed the entire treatment. Their ages ranged from 47 to 72 years, median 57. There were 16 FIGO stage IIIB, and 5 stage IIB. Radiotherapy was administered using 1.8 Gy/day, five days a week, to the whole pelvis (50.4 Gy/28 fractions) with or without parametrial boost according to the tumor response. Intracavitary brachytherapy 5 Gy x five to six times was given after one or two weeks of rest. Chemotherapy consisted of etoposide 100 mg/m2 day 1 + cisplatin 50 mg/m2 day 1 + bleomycin 25 mg/m2/day day 2-3, repeated every two weeks during external irradiation. RESULTS: All 21 eligible patients achieved complete response, sustaining during a median follow-up time of 12 months. All the initially elevated tumor markers (SCC, CEA, CA-125) returned to normal range after treatment. The toxicity was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant chemoradiotherapy for advanced cervical carcinoma is both feasible and effective, with acceptable toxicities. Long-term follow-up is mandatory, and a randomized trial to confirm the superiority of this protocol will be started soon.
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.
