DeCure's autonomous Neuro AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4D — 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 moduleCharcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4D 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 charcot-marie-tooth disease type 4d 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
N-myc downstream regulated 1 (NDRG1) — NDRG1 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 6ZMM · 2.96 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4D is not directly addressed in any of the provided abstracts. The abstracts cover CMT4J, CMT4F, CMT1, and general CMT diagnostic approaches, but none mention CMT4D or its associated gene (NDRG1). No drug repurposing data, clinical trials, or treatment outcomes for CMT4D appear in these papers.
The 2011 study on CMT4J describes 11 new patients with FIG4 mutations, bringing the total reported cases to 15 from the original four families. Ten of the new cases had the compound heterozygous genotype FIG4(I41T/null), and one had FIG4(L17P/null). The population frequency of the I41T allele was 0.001 in 5769 Northern European controls. Severity ranged from mild signs to wheelchair dependence, with both mild and severe forms seen in patients with the same genotype. The authors note highly variable onset and severity, proximal and distal asymmetric weakness, denervation on electromyography, and frequent progression to severe amyotrophy.
A 2023 retrospective study of 64 CMT patients (33 male, 31 female) using multiplex ligation probe amplification, next-generation sequencing, and whole-exome sequencing found a 39% diagnostic rate with MLPA and 36% with NGS targeted panels. Whole-exome sequencing on five patients with normal NGS results gave an 80% diagnostic yield, higher in the childhood group. The authors conclude that many patients remain without a molecular diagnosis, suggesting undiscovered genes or mechanisms.
A 2019 study specifically investigated the RTN4 gene as a potential therapeutic target for axonal regeneration in a family of six with CMT phenotypes. After sequencing, a missense mutation was found in exon 2 of the proband, but the RTN4 gene was found not to be involved in causing CMT type 1. A 2022 case report identified compound heterozygous PRX gene variants (c.52G>T and c.1390C>T) in a child with CMT4F, with the c.52G>T variant previously unreported. Another 2022 case report describes a novel MPZ gene mutation causing early-onset but slow-progressive CMT in a Russian family.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Brain · 2011 · 124 citations · open access
Distinctive genetic and clinical features of CMT4J: a severe neuropathy caused by mutations in the PI(3,5)P2 phosphatase FIG4
AbstractCharcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a genetically heterogeneous group of motor and sensory neuropathies associated with mutations in more than 30 genes. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4J (OMIM 611228) is a recessive, potentially severe form of the disease caused by mutations of the lipid phosphatase FIG4. We provide a more complete view of the features of this disorder by describing 11 previously unreported patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4J. Three patients were identified from a small cohort selected for screening because of their early onset disease and progressive proximal as well as distal weakness. Eight patients were identified by large-scale exon sequencing of an unselected group of 4000 patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. In addition, 34 new FIG4 variants were detected. Ten of the new CMT4J cases have the compound heterozygous genotype FIG4(I41T/null) described in the original four families, while one has the novel genotype FIG4(L17P/nul)(l). The population frequency of the I41T allele was found to be 0.001 by genotyping 5769 Northern European controls. Thirty four new variants of FIG4 were identified. The severity of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4J ranges from mild clinical signs to severe disability requiring the use of a wheelchair. Both mild and severe forms have been seen in patients with the same genotype. The results demonstrate that Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4J is characterized by highly variable onset and severity, proximal as well as distal and asymmetric muscle weakness, electromyography demonstrating denervation in proximal and distal muscles, and frequent progression to severe amyotrophy. FIG4 mutations should be considered in Charcot-Marie-Tooth patients with these characteristics, especially if found in combination with sporadic or recessive inheritance, childhood onset and a phase of rapid progression.
Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira · 2023 · 6 citations · open access
High diagnostic yield with algorithmic molecular approach on hereditary neuropathies
AbstractOBJECTIVE: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease covers a group of inherited peripheral neuropathies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of targeted next-generation sequencing panels on the molecular diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and its subtypes in routine clinical practice, and also to show the limitations and importance of next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth diseases. METHODS: This is a retrospective study. Three different molecular methods (multiplex ligation probe amplification, next-generation sequencing, and whole-exome sequencing) were used to detect the mutations related to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. RESULTS: In total, 64 patients (33 males and 31 females) with suspected Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease were analyzed for molecular etiology. In all, 25 (39%) patients were diagnosed by multiplex ligation probe amplification. With an extra 11 patients with normal PMP22 multiplex ligation probe amplification results that were consulted to our laboratory for further genetic analysis, a total of 50 patients underwent next-generation sequencing for targeted gene panels associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Notably, 18 (36%) patients had pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on five patients with normal next-generation sequencing results; the diagnostic yield by whole-exome sequencing was 80% and it was higher in the childhood group. CONCLUSION: The molecular etiology in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease patients can be determined according to pre-test evaluation, deciding the inheritance type with pedigree analysis, the clinical phenotype, and an algorithm for the genetic analysis. The presence of patients without a molecular diagnosis in all the literature suggests that there are new genes or mechanisms waiting to be discovered in the etiology of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association · 2019 · 0 citations · open access
In-silico and Molecular Analysis of RTN4 as novel therapeutic option for axonal regeneration
AbstractOBJECTIVES: To find interactions of the ligand with axonali nhibitors, and to check the optimum interactions of existing drugs as inhibitors for the protein that hinders the growth of injured neurons. METHODS: The study was conducted at Kongju National University, Korea from May 2016 to March 2017. It consisted of two parts. Molecular analysis and bioinformatics analysis. The study comprised a family of six with Charcot-Marie-Tooth phenotypes, recommended by a neurologist for molecular analysis on the clinical symptoms to find the mutations responsible for the disease. Blood samples were collected from each family member and total deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted and it was analysed for Reticulon 4 gene by sequencing the coding and intronic regions. However, a missense mutation was found on exon 2 of the gene in the proband and the whole family was subsequently analysed. Bioinformatics analysis and docking studies were carried out to investigate the potential behaviour of Reticulon 4 as therapeutic agent. Sequencing analysis was performed to find the pathoegenic variant responsible for Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1. RESULTS: After checking pathogenicity of the mutation, Reticulon 4 gene was found to be not involved in Charcot- Marie-Tooth disease type 1. CONCLUSIONS: Reticulon 4 gene was not found to be involved in causing Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1.
[Analysis of PRX gene variants in a child with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4F].
AbstractOBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of a child suspected for peroneal muscular atrophy. METHODS: The child and his parents were analyzed by using next generation sequencing. RESULTS: The child was found to harbor compound heterozygous variants of c.52G>T (p.Glu18X) and c.1390C>T (p.Arg464X) of the PRX gene, which were inherited from his father and mother, respectively. Among these, the c.52G>T variant was previously unreported. Based on the standards and guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, both variants were predicted to be pathogenic (PVS1+PM2+PM3, PVS1+PM3-Strong+PM2+BS2). CONCLUSION: The compound heterozygous variants of the PRX gene probably underlay the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4F in this child. Above finding has enriched the mutational spectrum of the PRX gene.
INDIGO (University of Illinois at Chicago) · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
sj-pdf-2-imr-10.1177_03000605221139718 - Supplemental material for Novel mutation in the <i>MPZ</i> gene causes early-onset but slow-progressive Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease in a Russian family: a case report
AbstractSupplemental material, sj-pdf-2-imr-10.1177_03000605221139718 for Novel mutation in the <i>MPZ</i> gene causes early-onset but slow-progressive Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease in a Russian family: a case report by Anastasiya Aleksandrovna Kozina, Natalia Vladimirovna Baryshnikova, Anna Yurievna Ilinskaya, Anna Alexandrovna Kim, Nikolay Alekseevich Plotnikov, Nadezhda Andreevna Pogodina, Ekaterina Ivanovna Surkova, Peter Alekseevich Shatalov and Valery Vladimirovich Ilinsky in Journal of International Medical Research
Sage Journals Data · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
sj-pdf-2-imr-10.1177_03000605221139718 - Supplemental material for Novel mutation in the <i>MPZ</i> gene causes early-onset but slow-progressive Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease in a Russian family: a case report
AbstractSupplemental material, sj-pdf-2-imr-10.1177_03000605221139718 for Novel mutation in the <i>MPZ</i> gene causes early-onset but slow-progressive Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease in a Russian family: a case report by Anastasiya Aleksandrovna Kozina, Natalia Vladimirovna Baryshnikova, Anna Yurievna Ilinskaya, Anna Alexandrovna Kim, Nikolay Alekseevich Plotnikov, Nadezhda Andreevna Pogodina, Ekaterina Ivanovna Surkova, Peter Alekseevich Shatalov and Valery Vladimirovich Ilinsky in Journal of International Medical Research
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.
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