DeCure's autonomous Dermatology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for dermatophytosis — screening already-approved drugs against its 32-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDermatophytosis maps to a 32-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 dermatophytosis 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
synaptotagmin like 2 (SYTL2) — SYTL2 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 gnpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 3BC1 · 1.8 Å · ligand PHOSPHOAMINOPHOSPHONIC ACID-GUANYLATE ESTER (GNP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 1983 double-blind trial in forty patients compared sulconazole nitrate 1% cream with clotrimazole 1% cream, applied twice daily for four weeks. Overall clinical improvement at weeks two, three and four favoured sulconazole, and the weekly mean severity scores for erythema, scaling, fissuring and itching were consistently lower in the sulconazole group; the differences for erythema and scaling were statistically significant. The authors concluded that sulconazole nitrate 1% cream is very effective against various dermatophytoses, but the sample was small and no long-term follow-up or recurrence data were reported.
A 2016 epidemiological survey in Damascus, Syria, examined 4080 outpatients between 2008 and 2016 and found dermatophytosis highly prevalent, with the most common fungal pathogen identified in toenail onychomycosis. No treatment outcomes were assessed in that study. A 2017 update on dermatophytosis in companion animals, especially cats, noted that clinical presentations vary with host immune status and that diagnosis should be multimodal; it recommended both topical and systemic medication plus environmental decontamination, but gave no specific drug comparisons or numerical efficacy data.
A 2021 review of pathogenesis, immunology and management of dermatophytosis stated that recurrent, recalcitrant or extensive infections have become an important public health issue, with a significant rise in chronic difficult-to-treat infections in recent years. The review aimed to bridge gaps in therapeutic recommendations but did not itself provide new trial data or quantitative outcomes. The 1983 trial is the only one here that gives concrete comparative results, and it is decades old; no modern randomised controlled trials with head-to-head comparisons of currently used antifungals, or data on drug-resistant strains, are included. What is missing is adequately powered, contemporary trials that measure mycological cure, recurrence rates, and patient stratification by infection site, chronicity, or pathogen species.
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 Fungi · 2021 · 84 citations · open access
Pathogenesis, Immunology and Management of Dermatophytosis
AbstractDermatophytic infections of the skin and appendages are a common occurrence. The pathogenesis involves complex interplay of agent (dermatophytes), host (inherent host defense and host immune response) and the environment. Infection management has become an important public health issue, due to increased incidence of recurrent, recalcitrant or extensive infections. Recent years have seen a significant rise in incidence of chronic infections which have been difficult to treat. In this review, we review the literature on management of dermatophytoses and bridge the gap in therapeutic recommendations.
British Journal of Dermatology · 1983 · 35 citations
A double-blind comparison of sulconazole nitrate 1% cream with clotrimazole 1% cream in the treatment of dermatophytoses
AbstractForty patients with dermatophytosis were treated with either sulconazole 1% cream or clotrimazole 1% cream (twenty patients in each group) twice daily for 4 weeks. Overall clinical improvement with respect to baseline at weeks 2, 3 and 4 favoured sulconazole-treated patients (the differences were statistically significant). The weekly mean severity scores for the sulconazole-treated patients for erythema, scaling, fissuring and itching were consistently lower than those for the clotrimazole-treated patients and the differences were statistically significant for erythema and sealing. It was concluded that sulconazole nitrate 1% cream is very effective against various dermatophytoses.
AbstractDermatophytosis is a common dermatological problem in companion animals, especially the cat. Clinical presentations can vary depending on the species, host immune status, and the type of dermatophyte. Identification of dermatophytes either to establish a diagnosis or decide on the end point for therapy should be multimodal. Both topical and systemic medication should be employed in treatment, as well as environmental decontamination.
Current Medical Mycology · 2016 · 12 citations · open access
Epidemiological survey of dermatophytosis in Damascus, Syria, from 2008 to 2016
AbstractBACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It is important to follow annually the probable changes in distribution pattern of dermatophytosis and its etiological agents in different communities. In this study, we determined the prevalence of dermatophytosis and its causative agents in Damascus, Syria, between 2008 and 2016. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 4080 outpatients who visited the dermatological clinics in Damascus, were evaluated. The specimens were collected from clinically suspected tinea. The patients were referred to our laboratory for direct examination by 30 %KOH. Some of the specimens were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar for fungal identification. RESULTS: was the most prevalent fungal pathogen, especially in toenail onychomycosis. CONCLUSION: Dermatophytosis is highly prevalent in Syria. This study provides valuable data for differential diagnosis of dermatophytosis.
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.
