DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for cutaneous melanoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 44-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleCutaneous melanoma maps to a 44-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
approvedMonobenzoneApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside cutaneous melanoma in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) — MTAP is one of the genes in this disease's Open Targets module — part of the target space DeCure's repurposing candidates point at. The protein backbone is drawn as a cartoon. The structure has (2s,3s,4r,5s)-2-(4-amino-5h-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-7-yl)-5-[(propylsulfanyl)methyl]pyrrolidine-3,4-diol bound in it, shown as sticks.
Loading structure…
helix sheet 2s,3s,4r,5sdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 5TC6 · 1.48 Å · ligand (2S,3S,4R,5S)-2-(4-amino-5H-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-7-yl)-5-[(propylsulfanyl)methyl]pyrrolidine-3,4-diol (7A6). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A German registry-based time series study found that population-level melanoma survival has improved since 2011, when immunotherapies and targeted agents became available for prognostically unfavourable cutaneous melanoma. The study does not report specific survival percentages or hazard ratios; it states only that randomised controlled trials had previously shown survival improvements and that the registry data were examined to see whether those benefits were appearing at the population level. No drug names, response rates, or sample sizes are given in the abstract.
A 2007 review notes that melanoma is an increasingly common clinical problem with few effective therapies available for advanced disease at that time. It describes progress in understanding the molecular biology of melanoma and states that this knowledge will form the basis for developing novel biomarkers and targeted therapies. No survival data, drug names, or trial results are reported.
A 2024 integrative literature review in Portuguese describes cutaneous melanoma as the most aggressive type of skin cancer, responsible for a significant portion of skin cancer deaths. It states that advances in understanding the disease’s pathophysiology have enabled the development of innovative therapies, including immunotherapies and molecularly targeted therapies, which have transformed treatment for patients with advanced disease. No specific drugs, response rates, survival figures, or sample sizes are provided.
What is still missing are large-scale, publicly funded trials that test repurposed drugs head-to-head against standard of care in defined patient subgroups, along with transparent reporting of negative results and the financial support needed to conduct such studies outside commercial sponsorship.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
OncoImmunology · 2018 · 38 citations · open access
Anti-Melanoma immunity and local regression of cutaneous metastases in melanoma patients treated with monobenzone and imiquimod; a phase 2 a trial
AbstractVitiligo development in melanoma patients during immunotherapy is a favorable prognostic sign and indicates breakage of tolerance against melanocytic/melanoma antigens. We investigated a novel immunotherapeutic approach of the skin-depigmenting compound monobenzone synergizing with imiquimod in inducing antimelanoma immunity and melanoma regression. Stage III-IV melanoma patients with non-resectable cutaneous melanoma metastases were treated with monobenzone and imiquimod (MI) therapy applied locally to cutaneous metastases and adjacent skin during 12 weeks, or longer. Twenty-one of 25 enrolled patients were evaluable for clinical assessment at 12 weeks. MI therapy was well-tolerated. Partial regression of cutaneous metastases was observed in 8 patients and stable disease in 1 patient, reaching the statistical endpoint of treatment efficacy. Continued treatment induced clinical response in 11 patients, including complete responses in three patients. Seven patients developed vitiligo-like depigmentation on areas of skin that were not treated with MI therapy, indicating a systemic effect of MI therapy. Melanoma-specific antibody responses were induced in 7 of 17 patients tested and melanoma-specific CD8+T-cell responses in 11 of 15 patients tested. These systemic immune responses were significantly increased during therapy as compared to baseline in responding patients. This study shows that MI therapy induces local and systemic anti-melanoma immunity and local regression of cutaneous metastases in 38% of patients, or 52% during prolonged therapy. This study provides proof-of-concept of MI therapy, a low-cost, broadly applicable and well-tolerated treatment for cutaneous melanoma metastases, attractive for further clinical investigation.
German Medical Science (German Research Foundation) · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
Improved Melanoma Survival in Germany: A Registry-Based Time Series Study
AbstractIntroduction: Since 2011, new treatment options specifically for prognostically unfavorable cutaneous melanoma are available, such as immunotherapies and targeted agents. Randomized controlled trials report improvements in survival, but it is unclear if beneficial effects are also appearing on the population-level. [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]
AbstractAbstract Melanoma is an increasingly common clinical problem, with few effective therapies available for advanced disease. The recent inroads into the molecular biology of melanoma have provided an important understanding of the molecular events that underlie melanoma progression, and will form the basis for the development of novel biomarkers as well as targeted therapies for this disease. In this chapter, we will review the current state of the art with respect to cutaneous melanoma epidemiology and molecular biology, and discuss recent advances in the prognostic assessment and therapy of melanoma.
MELANOMA CUTÂNEO: AVANÇOS NO DIAGNÓSTICO, TRATAMENTO E PERSPECTIVAS TERAPÊUTICAS
AbstractObjective: to consolidate these elements into a critical analysis, offering an integrated view of the challenges and perspectives related to cutaneous melanoma. Methods: this is an integrative literature review, a method that allows for the synthesis and critical analysis of available scientific evidence, aiming to consolidate knowledge about the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of cutaneous melanoma. Results: Cutaneous melanoma is recognized as the most aggressive type of skin cancer, accounting for a significant portion of deaths attributed to skin neoplasms. Final Considerations: Advances in understanding the pathophysiology of the disease have enabled the development of innovative therapies, such as immunotherapies and molecularly targeted therapies, which have transformed the treatment of patients with advanced disease.
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.
