DeCure's autonomous Metabolic AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for diabetic ketoacidosis — screening already-approved drugs against its 38-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDiabetic ketoacidosis maps to a 38-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 diabetic ketoacidosis 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
insulin (INS) — INS 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 hc4drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6TC2 · 1.36 Å · ligand 4'-HYDROXYCINNAMIC ACID (HC4). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious metabolic disorder usually occurring in young persons, with appropriate management including administration of fluids, insulin, and potassium alongside a search for a precipitating cause. A 2019 prospective study of 185 patients with moderate or severe DKA admitted to an emergency department reported an average age of 38 years, with 85% having known diabetes and 62% of those having type 1 diabetes. The most common factors of decompensation were treatment discontinuation in 42% and infection in 32%. Average blood glucose was 32.7 mmol/L, pH was 7.14, and bicarbonate was 7.2 mmol/L. Mean duration of intravenous insulin was 17.3 hours.
Complications were common: hypoglycaemia occurred in 14% of patients, hypokalemia in 43%, and hyperchloraemic mineral acidosis in 23%. Intrahospital mortality was 2.1%. A 1994 review noted that many fatal complications of DKA are preventable, particularly those caused by hypokalemia and untreated infection. A 1993 letter acknowledged that a retrospective review of adult DKA patients treated at three community hospitals with combinations of different acute therapies could give no indication of the comparative efficacy of different therapies, as no standard research or clinical protocol was in place.
A 2021 document states that DKA is a common hospital ailment despite being preventable, and that management has improved with new technologies and national policies aimed at decreasing death and disability. The document describes management as including metabolic targets, electrolyte levelling, and reducing harmful effects of the complication. What remains missing from the literature is prospective comparative trial data on different insulin regimens and fluid protocols, standardised outcome definitions across studies, and evidence on how to reduce the high rates of hypokalemia and hypoglycaemia during treatment.
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 CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH · 2015 · 78 citations · open access
Clinical Profile of Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Prospective Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital
AbstractBACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis, a well-known and major acute metabolic complication classically occurs in young patients with type 1 diabetes. However, it may occur in patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus too. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study was to look into the clinical profile, precipitating factors and clinical outcome in the patients presenting with Diabetic ketoacidosis in the Emergency of a Tertiary care hospital. DESIGN: The study was a prospective study conducted over a period of two years in Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Karnataka, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical profile of 60 diabetic patients admitted in the Emergency with the diagnosis of Diabetic ketoacidosis were analysed. RESULTS: Out of 60 patients, 12 were of Type 1 and 48 were Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Mean duration of diabetes was 8.65 years. Only 14 (23.3%) patients were taking regular treatment for Diabetes Mellitus whereas 32 (53.33%) patients were on irregular treatment and eight (13.33%) were not on any treatment at all. Among 12 Type 1 Diabetic patients, six patients were freshly diagnosed to be diabetic when they presented with Diabetic ketoacidosis complication. Nausea and vomiting (63.33%) were the most common symptoms of these patients. Infections (73.33%) were the most common precipitating factor for Diabetic ketoacidosis. Mean fluid requirement on first day of therapy was 3.51 liters. Mortality of 10% was seen. CONCLUSION: Diabetic ketoacidosis is a fatal acute metabolic complication of Diabetes Mellitus with heterogeneous clinical presentation. Early diagnosis and treatment can avoid morbidity & mortality.
AbstractDiabetic ketoacidosis is a serious and complex metabolic disorder that usually occurs in young persons. Appropriate management includes administration of fluids, insulin, and potassium and a thorough search for a precipitating cause. Careful and frequent follow-up and careful record keeping are needed to track important data. Many of the fatal complications of diabetic ketoacidosis are preventable, particularly those caused by hypokalemia and untreated infection.
Pan African Medical Journal · 2019 · 4 citations · open access
Profils épidémiologiques des acidocétoses diabètiques aux urgences
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a severe metabolic complication of diabetes. Recent years have seen a marked increase in prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis, but mortality is low. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic features of patients with severe or moderate DKA admitted to the Emergency Department. METHODS: He conducted a prospective, descriptive study including patients with moderate or severe DKA. Standardized care protocol. We studied the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic features of these patients. RESULTS: The study involved 185 patients with moderate or severe DKA. The average age of patients was 38+/-18 years, with a sex ratio of 0.94. Known diabetes was reported in 159 patients (85%) of whom 116 had type 1 diabetes. The most common factors of decompensation were treatment discontinuation in 42% and infection in 32%. Average blood glucose was 32.7+/-12 mmol/L, pH =7.14+/-0.13, HCO3- =7.2+/-3.56 mmol/L. The mean duration of intravenous insulin was 17.3 +/- 16 hours. Hypoglycaemia was reported in 26 patients (14%), hypokalemia in 80 (43%) patients and hyperchloraemic mineral acidosis in 43 patients (23%). Intrahospital mortality was 2.1%. CONCLUSION: Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs in young subjects treated with insulin therapy. Treatment is based on intravenous insulin associated with correction of fluid deficit. Complications mainly include hypokalemia and hypoglycemia and mortality is low.
AbstractThe diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis remains, as always, a bedside clinical exercise. Rapid consideration and exclusion of other conditions associated with altered consciousness that may occur in diabetics, such as lactic acidosis, hyperosmolar states, hypoglycemia, alcohol-related ketosis, and infections, should be routine. Although recent reassessment of therapy has meant more rational and specific action, close attention to the physical and laboratory responses to treatment is equally essential for a successful outcome.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 1993 · 0 citations
In reply
AbstractIn reply:—We thank Dr. Jolobe for his comments. Our study was a retrospective review of all adult patients treated for diabetic ketoacidosis at three community hospitals with combinations of different acute therapies. No standard research or clinical protocol was in place at the time of the study. Our data can give no indication of the comparative efficacy of different therapies.
AbstractDiabetic ketoacidosis is a quite common ailment in hospitals, despite its preventability. A large population of our country is facing diabetic ketoacidosis during their stay in the hospitals. There are many people who are facing challenges with the treatment of this common disease. The disease is easily managed by professionals nowadays. The management of this disease has been improved with a new era and new technologies. The national policies have been introduced which aid in the provision of the standard to the patients, expanding best services and decreasing the rate of deaths and disabilities in the patients with diabetic ketoacidosis. The management of diabetic ketoacidosis includes metabolic targets and leveling the electrolytes and decreasing the harmful effects of this complication.
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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