DeCure's autonomous Dermatology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for dermatomycosis — screening already-approved drugs against its 37-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDermatomycosis maps to a 37-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 dermatomycosis 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
dual specificity phosphatase 22 (DUSP22) — DUSP22 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 4npdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4WOH · 1.34 Å · ligand 4-NITROPHENYL PHOSPHATE (4NP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Dermatomycosis is a superficial fungal infection of the skin and its appendages, caused primarily by dermatophytes of the genera Epidermophyton, Microsporum, and Trichophyton, though non-dermatophyte molds and yeasts are also implicated. In a two-year retrospective study of 641 clinically suspected cases in a tertiary care hospital in north India, 52.6% were male and 47.4% female, with the 20–39 year age group accounting for 51% of cases. Onychomycosis was the commonest clinical presentation (48.8%), followed by scaly skin lesions (13.1%), tinea corporis (10.3%), and tinea cruris (5.3%). Direct microscopy (KOH wet mount) was positive in 35.9% of samples, while culture was positive in 48.7%. Among positive cultures, dermatophytes accounted for 49.4%, non-dermatophyte molds for 29.8%, and yeasts for 20.8%. A separate survey of 25 pharmacy visitors with dermatomycosis found foot infections most common (40%), followed by onychomycosis (19%), groin area infections (15%), and scalp infections (14%).
The Japanese Dermatological Association’s 2019 guidelines note that good quality treatment studies remain scarce for dermatomycosis, and that recommendations for rare forms are based on committee opinion rather than high-level evidence. The guidelines include clinical questions limited to therapy, covering recently launched antifungal agents, but the level of evidence for each item was reviewed only against studies published by 2018. Periodic revision is acknowledged as necessary.
The literature indicates that 6–9% of skin lesions in human medicine are caused by dermatophytes, and that clinical symptoms can be absent even when dermatophytes are present on the skin. Predisposing factors include damage to the epithelial layer and immune system failure. The north Indian study found that a combination of direct microscopy and culture was superior to either method alone, and noted that the temperate climate of Kashmir valley does not make it a suitable environment for fungal infections, yet vulnerable people remain at risk. What is still missing are large, high-quality randomised treatment trials, standardised diagnostic algorithms that account for non-dermatophyte pathogens, and patient stratification by infection site, duration, and comorbidities.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
The Journal of Dermatology · 2020 · 59 citations · open access
Guidelines for the management of dermatomycosis (2019)
AbstractThe "Guidelines for the management of dermatomycosis" of the Japanese Dermatological Association were first published in Japanese in 2009 and the Guidelines Committee of the Japanese Dermatological Association revised it in 2019. The first guidelines was prepared according to the opinions of the Guidelines Committee members and it was of educational value. The revised version is composed of introductory descriptions of the disease concepts, diagnosis, medical mycology and recent advances in treatment, along with clinical questions (CQ), which is intended to help in general practice for dermatologists. The CQ are limited to those involved in therapy but include some of the recently launched antifungal agents. The level of evidence and the degree of recommendation for each item were reviewed by the committee based on clinical studies published by 2018. For rare dermatomycoses, recommendations by the committee are described in the guidelines. In this field, there are still few good quality studies on treatment. Periodic revision in line with new evidence is necessary.
Zbornik Matice srpske za prirodne nauke · 2011 · 4 citations · open access
Dermatomycosis: Conditions that contribute to the disease development
AbstractSkin lesions caused by dermatophytes are classified depending on the infected skin structure: surface layer of cutis, fur layer, clutches or nails. Surface mycoses are caused by dermatophytes: Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Trichophyton species (also important are Malassezia spp., Candida spp., and Trichosporon). Skin is the target tissue for fungal infections if the epithelial layer is damaged and immune system cannot cope with the infection, or if the conditions are favorable for dermatophytes, which spread in the cutis due to the enzyme activities. Dermatophytes can be found on skin surface if they contaminate or colonize epidermis or hair follicles. However, clinical symptoms of lesion on the skin are sometimes absent. According to the literature data 6-9% of skin lesions are caused by dermatophyte in human medicine. Similar situation is in veterinary medicine. Fungus that cause dermatomycosis are widespread in the nature and could be divided into: zoophilic, geophilic and anthrophilic. The goal of this paper is to present the latest knowledge in pathogenesis on dermatomycosis, predisposing factors important for the outcome of the disease, and immunological reaction of organism to the fungal infection. Our intention is to summarize the subject and present the facts related to specific problems in dermatomycosis.
Indian Journal of Microbiology Research · 2021 · 2 citations · open access
Clinicomycological pattern of dermatomycosis – A two-year retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital of north India
AbstractFungal infections are a growing cause of concern in both hospital and non-hospital settings all over the world. Fungal infections are often characterized by the location of the infection. These may be referred to as superficial, subcutaneous, or systemic, which is also referred to as deep-seated. Dermatomycosis are superficial fungal infections of the skin & or its appendages. This study was undertaken to determine: 1) The predominant dermatophytes and non dermatophytes causing dermatomycosis. 2) The clinicomycological profile of dermatomycosis. 641 samples from clinically suspected cases of dermatomycosis including the skin, hair, and nail samples were collected. All the relevant clinical, demographic, and epidemiological details were noted. Samples were then subjected to direct microscopy and fungal culture. Of the total 641 cases, 337 (52.6%) were males and 304 (47.4) were females (Table 1). The most commonly affected age group was 20–39 years (51%). Out of total, 340 (53%) were nail samples, 283 (44.1%) were skin samples, and 18 (2.9%) were hair samples. Onychomycosis was the commonest clinical presentation (48.8%) followed by Scaly skin lesions (13.1%). Moreover, Tinea corporis was seen in 10.3%, Tinea cruris in 5.3% cases. KOH wet mount was performed on all 641 samples with 230 (35.9%) showing positive results. Whereas, 312 (48.7%) were positive by culture. the most common Fungi isolated in our study were Dermatophytes n=154 (49.4%), followed by Non-dermatophyte molds (NDMs) n=93 (29.8%) and Yeasts n=65 (20.8%). A combination of direct microscopy and culture was found to be superior than direct microscopy and culture alone. The recovery of NDMs and yeasts from routine dermatological samples in addition to the usual suspects, dermatophytes, also increases the awareness and suspicion among clinicians and mycologists to look beyond dermatophytes as the lone cause of superficial skin infections. Additionally, given the geographical location of Kashmir valley and its temperate climate with extremely cold winters (November to March) and a relatively milder summer with moderate humidity levels, when compared to the rest of northern Indian states doesn’t make it a suitable environment for fungal infections, more so the superficial mycosis. That said, people at risk are always vulnerable to develop fungal infections.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2022 · 1 citations · open access
Study of the etiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of dermatomycosis of the scalp, nails, feet, hands, smooth skin, and inguinal dermatophytosis
Abstract<strong>Introduction:</strong> The increased incidence and preponderance of dermatomycosis cause the issue of determining antimycotic agents of systemic and external action to be particularly pertinent, considering the etiology, clinical form, and majority of mycoses, the sensitivity of pathogens to them, and the existence of concurrent conditions. The study aims to analyze the etiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of dermatomycosis of the scalp, nails, feet, hands, smooth skin, and inguinal dermatophytosis. <strong>Patients and methods: </strong>To meet the aim of the study, it is attempted to generate an algorithm for pharmaceutical counseling of patients suffering from various types of dermatomycosis. Over the span of five months, a survey was carried out of 25 visitors to the pharmacy with a diagnosis of dermatomycosis. <strong>Results:</strong> Based on the results, it was revealed that most of the visitors suffer from dermatomycosis of the feet - 10 people (40%), the second in terms of incidence is onychomycosis - 5 people (19%), the third in terms of incidence is dermatomycosis of the groin area - 4 people (15%), the fourth in the incidence is dermatomycosis of the scalp - 4 people (14%). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> To treat different types of dermatomycosis, various antifungal drugs in different dosage forms can be used. For each type of disease, a specific course of treatment is selected. The duration of the course of treatment depends on the skin lesion area, the duration of the disease, and the presence of complications.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
Study of the etiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of dermatomycosis of the scalp, nails, feet, hands, smooth skin, and inguinal dermatophytosis
Abstract<strong>Introduction:</strong> The increased incidence and preponderance of dermatomycosis cause the issue of determining antimycotic agents of systemic and external action to be particularly pertinent, considering the etiology, clinical form, and majority of mycoses, the sensitivity of pathogens to them, and the existence of concurrent conditions. The study aims to analyze the etiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of dermatomycosis of the scalp, nails, feet, hands, smooth skin, and inguinal dermatophytosis. <strong>Patients and methods: </strong>To meet the aim of the study, it is attempted to generate an algorithm for pharmaceutical counseling of patients suffering from various types of dermatomycosis. Over the span of five months, a survey was carried out of 25 visitors to the pharmacy with a diagnosis of dermatomycosis. <strong>Results:</strong> Based on the results, it was revealed that most of the visitors suffer from dermatomycosis of the feet - 10 people (40%), the second in terms of incidence is onychomycosis - 5 people (19%), the third in terms of incidence is dermatomycosis of the groin area - 4 people (15%), the fourth in the incidence is dermatomycosis of the scalp - 4 people (14%). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> To treat different types of dermatomycosis, various antifungal drugs in different dosage forms can be used. For each type of disease, a specific course of treatment is selected. The duration of the course of treatment depends on the skin lesion area, the duration of the disease, and the presence of complications.
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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