DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for dry eye syndrome — screening already-approved drugs against its 44-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDry eye syndrome maps to a 44-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 dry eye syndrome 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
neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (NTRK3) — NTRK3 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 4-aminophenyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6KZD · 1.708 Å · ligand 3-[2-[6-(4-aminophenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-yl]ethynyl]-2-methyl-~{N}-[3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-5-propan-2-yl-phenyl]benzamide (DZ6). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Dry eye syndrome has a prevalence of 10.4% in a South Korean national sample of 17,364 participants aged 20 or older. Female gender (adjusted odds ratio 3.01), older age (AOR 1.02), and indoor occupation (AOR 1.30) were associated with higher prevalence; rural residence (AOR 0.73) and lower education level (AOR 0.66–0.99) were associated with lower prevalence. Systemic comorbidities linked to a significantly higher prevalence of dry eye syndrome in that study included renal failure (AOR 2.56), thyroid disease (AOR 1.79), dyslipidemia (AOR 1.63), degenerative arthritis (AOR 1.56), and rheumatoid arthritis (AOR 1.44).
The definition of dry eye now emphasises blurry vision as a constant symptom. Inflammation is considered a cause, and research has focused on anti-inflammatory therapies, punctal plugs, and oral and topical anti-inflammatory use. A 2010 review states that dry eye is a multifactorial disease of tears and ocular surface causing discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability, and that it can impair quality of life to a degree comparable with migraine, shortness of breath, and chronic renal insufficiency. That review notes there are about 100 different medications in use for dry eye besides other treatments, and calls for establishing what is safe and effective.
A 2013 review reports growing interest in drug therapy for dry eye syndrome in Russia and an increase in incidence, with artificial tears remaining the basis of treatment. No trial results, response rates, or survival data are given in any of these abstracts. No drug is named as having demonstrated efficacy in a controlled trial.
What is still missing: randomised controlled trials that report concrete outcomes such as symptom scores or objective signs of ocular surface damage; data on which specific anti-inflammatory drugs or artificial tears are effective and for which patient subgroups; and studies that account for the systemic comorbidities and medications that may confound treatment response.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Current Opinion in Ophthalmology · 2008 · 64 citations
Dry eyes: etiology and management
AbstractPURPOSE OF REVIEW: Until recently, the cause of dry eye syndrome was uncertain and the treatment was palliative. Since discovering that dry eyes are caused by inflammation, there has been an abundance of research focusing on anti-inflammatory therapies, other contributing causes, and better diagnostic testing. This review summarizes some of the interesting published research on ocular surface disease over the past year. RECENT FINDINGS: The definition of dry eye now highlights the omnipresent symptom of blurry vision. The re-evaluation of ocular surface staining, tear meniscus height, and visual change will allow for a better diagnosis and understanding of dry eyes. Punctal plugs, and oral and topical anti-inflammatory use will strengthen our arsenal against ocular surface disease. SUMMARY: Major progress has occurred in the past few years in gaining a better understanding of the etiology of dry eye syndrome, which will inevitably lead to more effective therapeutic options.
AbstractPURPOSE: To identify systemic comorbidities in patients with dry eye syndrome in South Korea. METHODS: From 2010 to 2012, 17,364 participants aged 20 or older were randomly included in the nationwide Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V. The prevalence of dry eye syndrome and demographics of these patients were investigated. We performed conditional logistic regression analyses based on age, sex, residential area, education level, occupation type, and household income level to obtain the odds ratio for each systemic comorbidity among subjects with and without dry eye syndrome. RESULTS: The prevalence of dry eye syndrome in this study was 10.4%. Age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.02], female gender (AOR: 3.01), and indoor occupation (AOR: 1.30) were associated with a higher prevalence of dry eye syndrome and found to be less prevalent in those residing in rural areas (AOR: 0.73) and with lower education levels (AOR: 0.66-0.99). With regard to systemic comorbidities, dyslipidemia (AOR: 1.63), degenerative arthritis (AOR: 1.56), rheumatoid arthritis (AOR: 1.44), thyroid disease (AOR: 1.79), and renal failure (AOR: 2.56) were associated with a significantly higher prevalence of dry eye syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: We found that patients with dry eye syndrome have a higher prevalence of several systemic comorbidities. A more comprehensive therapeutic approach considering the effect of systemic medication may be necessary in these patients.
Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia · 2010 · 39 citations · open access
Olho seco: etiopatogenia e tratamento
AbstractDry eye is a multifactorial disease of tears and ocular surface that causes discomfort, visual disturbance and tear film instability. It is a common disorder that affects specially adults and women and can cause quality of life impairment comparable to migraine, shortness of breath and chronic renal insufficiency, depending on its symptoms or complications. New concepts regarding physiopathology, classification and treatment have been presented and should be known by ophthalmologists because of their relevance on day-by-day application. There are about 100 different medications currently in use for dry eye besides other methods of treatment, so it is necessary to establish what is really safe and effective for dry eye. This paper presents a review about Dry Eye Syndrome etiopathogenesis and treatment.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · 2013 · 0 citations · open access
Latest artificial tears drugs in the treatment of patients with dry eye syndrome
AbstractRecently, the interest of national ophthalmologists to drug therapy of dry eye syndrome has been growing. In proportion to the growing relevance of the issue, there has been an increase in incidence of dry eye syndrome (DES) and expansion in the range of artificial tears which are the basis for therapy of patients with DES [1, 2, 6].
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.
