DeCure's autonomous Neuro AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for dementia — screening already-approved drugs against its 41-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDementia maps to a 41-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
approvedBosutinibApproved drugapprovedAcetylcysteineApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside dementia in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
MUTANT HUMAN LYSOZYME C77A — Acetylcysteine has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 207L, 1.8 Å). This is the drug's own deposited structure, not a prediction, and confirms it is a structurally characterised molecule rather than an untested guess.
Loading structure…
helix sheet sc2drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 207L · 1.8 Å · ligand Acetylcysteine (SC2). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2021 study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database found that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder aged 45 and older had a hazard ratio of 4.28 for developing any dementia compared to matched controls, with a hazard ratio of 4.04 for Alzheimer's disease and 3.95 for vascular dementia. The sample included 1,347 OCD patients and 13,470 controls. The authors call for research into pathogenic mechanisms that might lead to novel therapeutics.
A 2023 review notes that Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60% to 70% of dementia cases worldwide, but that research into pathogenesis and new tests and drugs faces a high failure rate. A 2020 review of molecular genetics states that genome-wide association studies have identified pathways including immune regulation, lipid metabolism, protein folding, and protein transport, but emphasises that most dementias are multifactorial and require more research on gene-by-environment interaction. A 2022 review of omics approaches to non-Alzheimer's dementias—vascular, Lewy body, and frontotemporal—notes that despite progress, the mechanism of dementia is still not fully understood.
A 2024 editorial on dementia management states that anti-amyloid therapies have side effects, are expensive, and have evidence that is still evolving. It argues that the first principles are prevention and non-pharmacological management, and proposes three equally important pillars: preventive and social medicine, prescribing, and deprescribing. No drug is recommended for repurposing in any of these abstracts.
What is still missing is a clear pathogenic mechanism for most dementia subtypes, reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis, and large-scale trials that account for the multifactorial nature of the disease—including genetic, lifestyle, and environmental interactions. Funding for such trials, particularly for non-Alzheimer's dementias, 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.
Molecules · 2018 · 294 citations · open access
Overview on the Effects of N-Acetylcysteine in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Abstract-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is an acetylated cysteine compound, has aroused scientific interest for decades due to its important medical applications. It also represents a nutritional supplement in the human diet. NAC is a glutathione precursor and shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In addition to the uses quoted in the literature, NAC may be considered helpful in therapies to counteract neurodegenerative and mental health diseases. Furthermore, this compound has been evaluated for its neuroprotective potential in the prevention of cognitive aging dementia. NAC is inexpensive, commercially available and no relevant side effects were observed after its administration. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview on the effects and applications of NAC in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disorders and in neuropathic pain and stroke.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · 2021 · 12 citations
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Dementia Risk
AbstractBACKGROUND: Several case reports have suggested an association between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and dementia. However, the exact relationship remains unclear. METHODS: Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 1,347 patients with OCD (ICD-9-CM code 300.3) aged ≥ 45 years and 13,470 controls matched for age, sex, residence, income, and dementia-related comorbidities were included between 1996 and 2013 for investigation of subsequent dementia from enrollment to the end of 2013. Stratified Cox regression analysis on each matched pair was applied to assess the dementia risk between the OCD and control groups. The analysis for the current study was performed in 2018. RESULTS: Patients with OCD had increased risk of developing any dementia (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.96-6.21), Alzheimer's disease (HR = 4.04; 95% CI, 1.55-10.54), and vascular dementia (HR = 3.95; 95% CI, 1.70-9.18) compared with controls. DISCUSSION: Future research on the pathogenic mechanisms and molecular underpinnings of the relationship between OCD and dementia may lead to the development of novel therapeutics.
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience · 2022 · 2 citations · open access
What we have learned to date from the omics approach to non-Alzheimer's dementias
AbstractWorldwide, more than 50 million people live with dementia, and due to the rapidly aging population, dementia cases are expected to increase at least five times in 2050. 30%-40% of dementia cases are diagnosed as non-Alzheimer's dementia. Common subtypes of non-Alzheimer's dementia are known as vascular, Lewy body, and frontotemporal dementia. Despite advances in modern medicine, the mechanism of dementia is still not fully understood. The term "omics" is a general term and is used to comprehensively characterize molecules by functional and biological similarities, focusing on the basic biological processes of a living organism and these techniques have enabled us to examine the unknown areas of biology, such as the genome, transcriptome, proteome, microbiome, and metabolome. This review highlights the progress that has been made in omics research while noting the gaps in our knowledge.
Updated treatment of dementia with bosutinib: An open‐label study of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor
AbstractAbstract Background A 2020 publication from Mahdavi and colleagues reported on clinical status changes observed among a sample of 31 older adults with neurodegenerative conditions who completed 12 months of bosutinib therapy. This abstract provides updated results for an additional 21 patients who have completed the 12‐month regimen since the time of the initial publication. This study pursues and updates data on an effective therapeutic intervention for dementia using TKI’s such as bosutinib. Method 52 patients with probable Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) or Parkinson’s spectrum disorder with dementia (PDD) completed 12 months of bosutinib therapy. The Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR) as estimated by the Quick Dementia Rating System (QDRS) was the primary cognitive status outcome measure. Results For the updated sample size of 52 individuals who have completed the protocol, bosutinib was associated with improved CDR scores for 40% of participants (36% AD, and 46% PDD); bosutinib was also associated with clinically stable CDR scores for 38% of patients (36% AD, and 46% PDD). After completion of the protocol intervention, 29% of the AD population yielded decreased CDR scores while only 8% of PDD patients had decreased CDR scores. Conclusion These results update findings from the previously reported study (Mahdavi et al., 2020) and continue to warrant further investigation of bosutinib as a potential therapeutic agent for dementia. The data continue to suggest an overall positive or stable outcome among participants after a year of bosutinib, with a clinical improvement rate of approximately 40% and a 38% rate of clinical stabilization. This observation remains consistent regardless of severity of cognitive impairment at baseline. We expect to report on an update for an additional 30 participants in the next year.
AbstractRecent research in new drug treatments for dementia such as anti-amyloid therapies have certainly piqued interest in the future possibilities for dementia pharmacotherapy. However, as with many medicines, the drugs have side effects, are expensive, and the evidence is still evolving. Furthermore, the first principles in any disease state management are prevention and non-pharmacological management. In this editorial, I invite you to look at dementia management based on three pillars. These, in my view, are all equally important. They are preventive and social medicine, medicine (prescribing), and deprescribing.
Theoretical and Natural Science · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
Recent progress in the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
AbstractAlzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the prime cuases of dementia, responsible for 60% to 70% of cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Unfortunately, numerous research challenges still remain for this disease, which poses a great threat to human health worldwide, especially in the elderly population. Scientists are still struggling to find the pathogenesis and pathogenic mechanisms of AD, and while research for new tests and novel drugs is ongoing, it faces a high failure rate. This article will summarize some remarkable results to date and discuss future research directions.
Oxford University Press eBooks · 2020 · 0 citations
Molecular genetics and biology of dementia
AbstractDementia is caused by an interplay between genes and lifestyle and environmental factors. Recent advances in genetic and molecular biology have provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis of underlying dementia for not only in those with clear genetic aetiology, but also in those with no familial basis. The advent of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and the more recent next-generation sequencing has unravelled some great insight into the possible underlying mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and Lewy body disease. Interestingly, there is a common theme and these studies have outlined several pathways such as immune regulation, lipid metabolism, protein folding, and protein transport. This brings hope for future treatment strategies and therapeutic targets. Finally, most dementias are multifactorial and not only caused by genetic factors. Therefore, more research is needed, particularly investigations of epistasis and gene-by-environment interaction.
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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