DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for diverticulitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 12-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDiverticulitis maps to a 12-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
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Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Structures already discussed alongside diverticulitis in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
ABO, alpha 1-3-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase and alpha 1-3-galactosyltransferase (ABO) — ABO is one of the genes in this disease's Open Targets module — part of the target space DeCure's repurposing candidates point at. The protein backbone is drawn as a cartoon. The structure has octyl 2-o-(6-deoxy-alpha-l-galactopyranosyl)-beta-d-galactopyranoside bound in it, shown as sticks.
Loading structure…
helix sheet 6-deoxy-alpha-l-galactopyranosyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4Y63 · 1.3 Å · ligand octyl 2-O-(6-deoxy-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (BHE). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
The pathogenesis of diverticular disease and acute diverticulitis remains unclear, with hypotheses involving chronic inflammation, gut microbiome, obesity, immunogenic properties of fat tissue, and diet. A 2018 review examined the role of inflammation in mild and complicated acute diverticulitis but did not report any clinical trial results, drug efficacy data, or patient outcomes. It offered no concrete numbers on survival or response rates.
A 2025 UK Biobank study of 43,539 patients measured 1,459 plasma proteins at enrollment and identified 551 cases of severe diverticulitis (operative or recurrent inpatient disease) during follow-up. Differential expression analysis implicated extracellular matrix and neuronal pathways. A proteomic risk score using 151 proteins was associated with greater risk of severe diverticulitis (hazard ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.18–1.87). A model combining proteomic and genetic factors improved risk stratification over a base model of demographics and lifestyle factors: the 5-year area under the receiver operating characteristics curve in the training set was 0.83 (0.79–0.86) versus 0.69 (0.64–0.73); in the testing set it was 0.75 versus 0.70 (P < 0.01). Elevated proteomic risk was also associated with renal dysfunction and cardiometabolic traits. This study did not test any drug.
A 2024 scoping review on unmet needs in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and prevention of recurrent acute diverticulitis was published but its full findings are not available in the provided material. The abstract and supplemental material do not report any drug efficacy, patient outcomes, or concrete numbers.
No drug was tested or recommended in any of these abstracts. What is still missing are randomised controlled trials testing specific anti-inflammatory or other compounds, adequate funding for such trials, and validated patient stratification tools that go beyond proteomic risk scores to guide treatment decisions.
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 Inflammation Research · 2018 · 26 citations · open access
Inflammation management in acute diverticulitis: current perspectives
AbstractAbstract: The pathogenesis of diverticular disease and acute diverticulitis is still unclear and many different hypotheses have been formulated. Seemingly, there are several related factors such as chronic inflammation, gut microbiome, obesity and the immunogenic properties of fat tissue and diet. Inflammation plays a pivotal role in diverticular disease and acute diverticulitis. The aim of the present review is to investigate the role of inflammation in diverticular disease as well as in mild and complicated acute diverticulitis with a focus on current research and treatment perspectives. Keywords: acute diverticulitis, inflammation, diverticular disease. A Letter to the Editor has been received and published for this article.
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy · 2005 · 24 citations
Mesalazine for diverticular disease of the colon – a new role for an old drug
AbstractColonic diverticulosis is among the most common diseases of developed countries. Its prevalence is approximately 5 - 10% of the population by age 50, and 30, 50 and 66% of those > 50, > 70 and > 85years of age, respectively. Antibiotics have been successfully used in the treatment of uncomplicated diverticular disease; however, the use of mesalazine (alone or in combination with antibiotics) in treating uncomplicated diverticulitis has been successfully developed in recent years. Indeed, mesalazine (with or without antibiotics) showed significant superiority in improving the severity of symptoms, bowel habits, and in preventing symptomatic recurrence of diverticulitis over antibiotics alone. More-over, in light of some preliminary results, it is probable that the association of mesalazine with probiotics may in the future be the first-choice treatment for mild-to-moderate uncomplicated attacks of acute diverticulitis.
Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery · 2004 · 6 citations · open access
Medical Treatment of Diverticular Disease
AbstractThe medical treatment of diverticulitis is discussed, including its incidence, stages, and presentation, as are the antibiotic and dietary therapies currently recommended for this disease. Because diverticulitis can be a challenge to treat, several pitfalls are listed in this discussion, including diverticulitis in the immunocompromised, in the young, and in patients who do not have true diverticulitis but who present with some signs and symptoms of the disease.
Journal of Surgical Research · 2025 · 2 citations · open access
Plasma Proteomic Signatures for Diverticulitis Risk Stratification
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Approaches for risk stratification in diverticulitis have emphasized lifestyle factors, with a possible emerging role for molecular signatures. We aimed to evaluate whether plasma proteomic profiles complement dietary and genetic factors in diverticulitis risk stratification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This UK Biobank study derived a plasma proteomic risk score for severe diverticulitis (operative or recurrent inpatient disease). The cohort was split into a training set for derivation and an independent testing set for evaluation. Differential expression and gene set enrichment analysis identified pathway-level differences, while least absolute shrinkage and selector operator models calculated the score. To evaluate utility in stratification, the proteomic risk score was included in Cox regression models with demographics, lifestyle factors, and genetic risk. A phenome-wide association study explored for conditions associated with diverticulitis proteomic signatures. RESULTS: Among 43,539 patients and 1459 plasma proteins measured at enrollment, there were 551 cases of severe diverticulitis throughout follow-up. Differential expression analysis implicated extracellular matrix and neuronal pathways, while least absolute shrinkage and selector operator regression retained 151 proteins. This proteomic risk score was associated with greater risk of severe diverticulitis (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.48 [1.18-1.87]), and a full model with proteomic and genetic factors improved upon a base model with demographic and lifestyle factors (maximum at 5-y area under the receiver operating characteristics curve [95% confidence interval], training set: 0.83 [0.79-0.86] versus 0.69 [0.64-0.73]; testing set 0.75 versus 0.70; P < 0.01) In the phenome-wide association study, elevated proteomic risk for diverticulitis was associated with renal dysfunction and cardiometabolic traits. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma proteomic profiles complemented genetic and lifestyle factors in diverticulitis risk stratification.
AbstractManagement of diverticulosis is largely medical, but elective surgical treatment of diverticulitis is assuming greater importance. Twelve of 43 patients treated surgically at Evanston Hospital in a five year period underwent colonic resection for uncomplicated diverticulitis. A one stage procedure was also done in 17 other cases, and a multiple-stage operation with colostomy in 14. With refinements in surgical care, timely prophylactic surgical intervention reflects wise surgical judgment.
sj-docx-2-tag-10.1177_17562848241255297 – Supplemental material for Unmet needs in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and prevention of recurrent acute diverticulitis: a scoping review
AbstractSupplemental material, sj-docx-2-tag-10.1177_17562848241255297 for Unmet needs in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and prevention of recurrent acute diverticulitis: a scoping review by Marilia Carabotti, Rosario Cuomo, Giovanni Marasco, Giovanni Barbara, Franco Radaelli and Bruno Annibale in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology
Sage Journals Data · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
sj-docx-2-tag-10.1177_17562848241255297 – Supplemental material for Unmet needs in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and prevention of recurrent acute diverticulitis: a scoping review
AbstractSupplemental material, sj-docx-2-tag-10.1177_17562848241255297 for Unmet needs in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease and prevention of recurrent acute diverticulitis: a scoping review by Marilia Carabotti, Rosario Cuomo, Giovanni Marasco, Giovanni Barbara, Franco Radaelli and Bruno Annibale in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology
AbstractSirs, We thank the authors for their interest in our review.1 The reason we did not mention cleansing of the bowel as a tool in prevention of diverticulitis is that this strategy is not mentioned in the literature. The cases described by Dr Panos and Koumi,2 however, are very interesting. This strategy could benefit particularly those patients who are unfit for surgery. Performing a prospective, randomized controlled trial to establish the value of this cleansing would be useful. Suitable control regimens might be to treat the patients with mesalazine or rifamixin. We believe multicentre trials with mesalazine are underway. Declaration of personal and funding interests: None.
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.
