DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Desmoid-type fibromatosis — screening already-approved drugs against its 18-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDesmoid-type fibromatosis maps to a 18-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 desmoid-type fibromatosis 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
kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) — KDR 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 ethylsulfonyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1Y6A · 2.1 Å · ligand N-[5-(ETHYLSULFONYL)-2-METHOXYPHENYL]-5-[3-(2-PYRIDINYL)PHENYL]-1,3-OXAZOL-2-AMINE (AAZ). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Two children with unresectable desmoid tumours were treated with tamoxifen (1 mg/kg orally, twice daily) and diclofenac (2 mg/kg rectally, twice daily). One child with rapidly growing recurrent fibromatosis of the thoracic wall maintained tumour regression and growth arrest for more than 51 months at last follow-up. Another child with an inoperable submandibular tumour had stable disease from the start of treatment. This 1997 report was the first to describe this combined endocrine and anti-inflammatory approach in childhood fibromatosis, and the authors proposed it as a non-aggressive alternative to chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
A 2020 review of aggressive fibromatosis notes that desmoid tumours do not metastasise but are classified as low-grade malignant because they infiltrate surrounding tissues, cause high local recurrence rates, and can threaten life quality and expectancy. The review states that none of the frequently investigated treatments — surgery, watchful waiting, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, high intensity focused ultrasound, ablation, or several drug agents — are supported by data as a standard therapy for high recurrence rates. The review aimed to summarise the latest treatment modalities and their side effects to provide a more comprehensive clinical reference.
A 2012 paper on paediatric desmoid fibromatosis emphasises that the condition is heterogeneous and that there is no consensus on therapy. Fatality is rare, but repeated surgery is common. The authors note that no validated objective or subjective functional assessment tool exists for this benign but locally invasive disease, and they argue that functional outcome is an important but neglected marker of treatment success.
What is still missing is a validated functional assessment tool for paediatric patients, a standard therapy supported by data for high recurrence rates, and any large-scale prospective trial that stratifies patients by tumour location, growth rate, or hormonal status. The 1997 combination of tamoxifen and diclofenac has not been tested in a controlled cohort.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Cancer · 1997 · 89 citations
Noncytotoxic drug therapy in children with unresectable desmoid tumors
AbstractBACKGROUND: Antiestrogens and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have been shown to be effective in adult patients with unresectable or recurrent desmoid tumors. It appears that the growth of these tumors is influenced by estrogen, and that antiestrogen treatment may inhibit further proliferation of tumor cells. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are thought to be effective through their interference with prostaglandin metabolism. METHODS: Two children with unresectable desmoid tumors (aggressive fibromatosis) were treated with tamoxifen (1 mg/kg orally, twice daily) and diclofenac (2 mg/kg rectally, twice daily). RESULTS: At last follow-up, tumor regression and growth arrest were maintained for more than 51 months in 1 child with rapidly growing recurrent fibromatosis of the thoracic wall. Another child with an inoperable desmoid tumor of the submandibular region had stable disease since the initiation of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report describing this treatment approach in childhood fibromatosis. Combined therapy with endocrine therapy and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs may be a nonaggressive alternative to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the treatment of children with inoperable desmoid tumors.
Oncology Letters · 2020 · 31 citations · open access
Management of aggressive fibromatosis (Review)
AbstractAggressive fibromatosis or desmoid tumor is a rare disease resulting from fibroblasts which do not metastasize. However, desmoid tumors belong to low-grade malignant tumors since they have high potential to infiltrate surrounding tissues, causing high local recurrence rates and may affect surrounding organs, threatening life quality and expectancy. Although surgery, watch and wait, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, high intensity focused ultrasound, ablation techniques or several agents have all been frequently investigated for the treatment of this type of disease, none are deemed as standard therapy for high recurrence rates that have been supported by any data. The present review retrieved literature on treatment options for desmoids to summarize the latest treatment modalities and refine their efficacy, as well as their side effects, in order to provide a more comprehensive treatment reference for clinicians.
The Importance of Patient Reported Functional Outcome in Paediatric Desmoid Fibromatosis
AbstractDesmoid fibromatosis (DF) is a heterogeneous condition with lack of consensus regarding therapy. Fatality is rare but repeated surgery prevalent. Functional assessment for this group is not well established, although we believe it to be an important marker of treatment success. At present there is no validated objective or subjective functional assessment tool designed for benign but locally invasive disease.
Desmoid Tumors: Experience from A Referral Center. Part 1- Multidisciplinary Review and Practical Recommendations
AbstractDesmoid tumors (DTs), also known as aggressive fibromatosis, are rare neoplasms characterized by local invasiveness and a high risk of recurrence, despite their lack of metastatic potential. The management of these tumors remains challenging due to their unpredictable behavior and heterogeneous presentations. In this two-part study, we first provide a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence on diagnosis and emerging therapeutic strategies for DT. In the second part, we will present a retrospective analysis of our experience at a national reference center for sarcoma treatment, focusing on diagnostic strategies, therapeutic interventions, and clinical outcomes.
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.
