DeCure's autonomous Dermatology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for cutaneous mastocytosis — screening already-approved drugs against its 6-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleCutaneous mastocytosis maps to a 6-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 cutaneous mastocytosis 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
cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily B member 6 (CYP2B6) — CYP2B6 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 hemdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4I91 · 2.0 Å · ligand PROTOPORPHYRIN IX CONTAINING FE (HEM). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2014 case report describes a female patient with urticaria pigmentosa, eruptive melanocytic nevi, and a prior melanoma. Histopathology showed mast cells in the dermis combined with overlying melanocytic nevi, and the same features were present in the melanoma removed three years earlier. The authors discuss a possible pathogenetic linkage between cutaneous mastocytosis and melanoma but do not establish causation.
A 2014 retrospective study of 30 cutaneous mastocytosis patients (60% male, 40% female) compared childhood-onset (22 patients, all before age 2) with adult-onset (8 patients). Adult-onset patients had statistically significantly more systemic involvement than childhood-onset patients (P < 0.05). The study concludes that cutaneous mastocytosis in children is a benign disease without systemic involvement and is usually sporadic.
A 2016 review states that cutaneous mastocytosis is the most frequent form of mastocytosis, a rare disease of abnormal mast cell accumulation. It often appears early in childhood and usually resolves spontaneously by puberty. In adults, cutaneous mastocytosis rarely involutes and is frequently associated with extracutaneous involvement, making it effectively systemic mastocytosis. Clinical presentation includes polymorphous cutaneous lesions and acute episodes due to mast cell degranulation. The cause is unknown; mutations of the c-kit proto-oncogene are often observed. Treatment is mainly symptomatic.
What is still missing: no randomised controlled trials for any treatment in cutaneous mastocytosis; no validated biomarkers to predict which childhood cases will persist; no prospective data on the melanoma risk suggested by the case report; no funding for a multi-centre registry to stratify patients by age, mutation status, and systemic involvement.
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 Dermatological Case Reports · 2014 · 15 citations · open access
Cutaneous mastocytosis combined with eruptive melanocytic nevi and melanoma. Coincidence or a linkage in the pathogenesis?
AbstractBACKGROUND: Cellular combinations in the same neoplasm can have intriguing physiopathological implications, which may be useful to better understand the biology of the diseases. MAIN OBSERVATIONS: Urticaria pigmentosa in association with eruptive melanocytic nevi was observed in a female patient. Maculopapular lesions extended at the base of different melanocytic nevi and the histopathological examination revealed the presence of a mast cell population in the papillary and reticular dermis combined with overlying melanocytic nevi. The re-evaluation of a melanoma removed three years before revealed the presence of the same pathological features. Immunohistochemical assays showed a strong positivity to Giemsa, Toluidine blue and CD-117 in the mast cells, while a S-100 reaction was observed in the melanocytic population. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss possible pathogenetic linkage between cutaneous mastocytosis and melanoma.
TURKISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES · 2014 · 8 citations · open access
Comparison of cutaneous mastocytosis with onset in children and adults
AbstractBACKGROUND/AIM: Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by the abnormal infiltration of mast cells in the skin and sometimes other organs. This study aimed to compare the demographic, clinical, and histopathological findings of cutaneous mastocytosis with onset in children and in adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with cutaneous mastocytosis in 2 different dermatology clinics between 2007 and 2011 were included in the study. Demographic characteristics of the patients as well as localization and type of the cutaneous lesions, presence of symptoms, Darier's sign, family history, systemic involvement, and histopathological evaluations were retrospectively examined. RESULTS: Out of the 30 cases of cutaneous mastocytosis, 60% of patients were male (n = 18) and 40% were female (n = 12). Twenty-two patients had childhood-onset mastocytosis (≤15 years) and 8 patients had adult-onset mastocytosis. The onset of the disease occurred before the age of 2 years in all cases of childhood onset. Patients with adult-onset mastocytosis had statistically significantly more systemic involvement than those with childhood-onset mastocytosis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Cutaneous mastocytosis is a benign disease in children without systemic involvement and is usually sporadic.
Revista chilena de pediatría · 2015 · 1 citations · open access
Mastocitosis cutánea: reporte de un caso
AbstractLa mastocitosis representa un grupo de enfermedades caracterizadas por una acumulación excesiva de mastocitos en uno o múltiples tejidos. Puede limitarse a la piel o tener un compromiso sistémico, siendo de baja prevalencia y pronóstico benigno en la infancia. Reportar un caso de urticaria pigmentosa como subtipo de mastocitosis cutánea y hacer una revisión bibliográfica enfocada en los hallazgos clínicos, el diagnóstico y el manejo inicial básico. Lactante de 6 meses de edad con múltiples máculas y pápulas de color café claro localizadas en el tronco, los brazos y las piernas, cuadro compatible con una urticaria pigmentosa, confirmada mediante biopsia. Se solicitaron exámenes para descartar compromiso sistémico. La paciente fue tratada con medidas generales, educación y antihistamínicos, con excelente evolución. La mastocitosis cutánea es una enfermedad poco común, de buen pronóstico. En la infancia generalmente bastan las medidas generales y educación para obtener resultados favorables. La terapia farmacológica de primera línea son los antagonistas H1. Mastocytosis represents a group of diseases characterised by an excesive accumulation of mastocytes in one or multiple tissues. It can affect only the skin, or have a systemic involvement. It has a low prevalence, and the prognosis is benign in children. To report a case of urticaria pigmentosa as a subtype of cutaneous mastocytosis, and present a literature review focused on clinical findings, diagnosis and initial basic management. A child of six months of age presenting with multiple blemishes and light brown papules located on the trunk, arms and legs. The symptoms were compatible with urticaria pigmentosa, and was confirmed by biopsy. Tests to rule out systemic involvement were requested. The patient was treated with general measures, education, and antihistamines, with favourable results. Cutaneous mastocytosis is a rare disease with a good prognosis. In childhood general measures and education are usually enough to obtain favourable results. Histamine H1 antagonists are the first line drug treatment.
AbstractCutaneous mastocytosis represent the most frequent form of mastocytosis, rare diseases, defined by an abnormal accumulation and proliferation of mastocytes in one or more organs. Cutaneous mastocytosis more often appear early in childhood and usually resolve spontaneously by the time of puberty. In adult, cutaneous mastocytosis rarely involute and are frequently associated to extracutaneous involvement and so, are in fact systemic mastocytosis. Clinical presentation of cutaneous mastocytosis includes polymorphous cutaneous lesions linked to mastocytes skin infiltration often associated to acute episodes (lesional or systemic flush) due to mast cells degranulation. The cause of mastocytosis is unknown. Several mutations of the c-kit proto-oncogen coding for the transmembrane receptor kit of the stem groth factor, factor of maturation, proliferation and activation of mastocytes, are often observed. Currently, the treatment of cutaneous mastocytosis is mainly symptomatic.
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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