DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Duane retraction syndrome — screening already-approved drugs against its 16-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDuane retraction syndrome maps to a 16-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 duane retraction 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
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
Duane retraction syndrome is a congenital eye movement disorder defined by a deficiency of abduction, mild limitation of adduction, and retraction with narrowing of the palpebral fissure on attempted adduction. A 1986 report on two patients who had a large medial rectus recession for a cosmetically unacceptable face turn and esotropia in primary position found the unusual complication of severe limitation of adduction postoperatively. A 2020 prospective interventional study at Al-Azhar university hospital in Assiut over two years enrolled 31 patients with Duane retraction syndrome, aged 9 months to 28 years. Thirteen patients were left without surgical intervention because they were orthophoric or had minimal misalignment in primary position with mild retraction and no vertical shoot or abnormal head position. Eighteen patients had surgery: nine were exotropic, eight esotropic, and one orthophoric.
The 2020 study reported that horizontal deviations were managed with unilateral or bilateral muscle recession and simultaneous recession of the medial and lateral rectus. Retraction of the globe was managed with single muscle recession or simultaneous recession of both recti. Vertical shoots were managed with lateral rectus Y-splitting, inferior oblique recession, and simultaneous recession of both recti. The authors concluded that single muscle recession and simultaneous recession of both medial and lateral rectus can correct horizontal strabismus in primary position, retraction on attempted adduction, and abnormal head position. Overshoots could be corrected by lateral rectus Y-splitting or simultaneous recession of both recti, and inferior oblique anteriorisation was the best choice for cases with hypertropia in primary position and slow upshoot. Small lateral rectus resection was possible in esotropic cases with mild retraction.
A 2013 case report described a patient with syndromic Duane retraction syndrome who harboured a chromosome 8 inversion and a marker chromosome containing subregions with differing mosaicism and allele frequencies, highlighting the need for multiple genetic methods to understand genotype–phenotype correlation. A 2020 historical article noted that it was long unclear whether the condition was myopathic or neuropathic, and that William F. Hoyt contributed to the determination that it is caused by a congenital absence of the sixth nerve combined with innervation of the lateral rectus muscle by branches of the third nerve.
What is still missing is a randomised controlled trial comparing surgical techniques, long-term follow-up beyond six months, and any pharmacological or non-surgical treatment. No drug therapy is mentioned in any of these abstracts. Patient stratification by genetic subtype and quantitative measures of retraction and overshoot before and after surgery are not provided in a standardised form.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Archives of Ophthalmology · 1986 · 45 citations
Severe Adduction Deficiency Following a Large Medial Rectus Recession in Duane's Retraction Syndrome
AbstractDuane's retraction syndrome is a congenital eye movement disorder characterized by a deficiency of abduction, mild limitation of adduction, with retraction and narrowing of the palpebral fissure on attempted adduction. Two patients with this condition had a large medial rectus recession for a cosmetically unacceptable face turn and esotropia in primary position. Both patients had the unusual complication of severe limitation of adduction postoperatively.
Clinical Case Reports · 2013 · 4 citations · open access
Complex cytogenetic rearrangements at the <scp>DURS</scp>1 locus in syndromic Duane retraction syndrome
AbstractKey Clinical Message A patient with syndromic Duane retraction syndrome harbors a chromosome 811.1q13.2 inversion and 8p11.1‐q12.3 marker chromosome containing subregions with differing mosaicism and allele frequencies. This case highlights the potential requirement for multiple genetic methods to gain insight into genotype–phenotype correlation, and ultimately into molecular mechanisms that underlie human disease.
Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology · 2020 · 2 citations
William F. Hoyt's Role in Identifying the Pathogenesis of Duane Retraction Syndrome
AbstractFor many years, it was unclear whether Duane retraction syndrome was a myopathic or neuropathic condition. This article describes the direct and indirect contributions of William F. Hoyt, MD, to the eventual determination that the condition is caused by a congenital absence of the sixth nerve combined with innervation of the lateral rectus muscle by branches of the third nerve.
Egyptian Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology · 2020 · 0 citations · open access
MANAGEMENT OF DUANE RETRACTION SYNDROME
AbstractPurpose: To determine the clinical profile of various subtypes of Duane retraction syndromepatients and to evaluate different surgical strategies in correction of different clinical signs.Patients and Methods: This was a hospital-based prospective interventional study conductedat the Ophthalmology department, Al-Azhar university hospital in Assiut over a duration of twoyears from October 2017 to October 2019. Thirty one patients of DRS were scheduled to beincluded in this study. They were divided into three groups; Group I: 21 patients of DRS type I,Group II: 4 patients of DRS type II and Group III: 6 patients of DRS type III. Age of patientsranged from 9 months to 28 yrs old. Postoperative results were evaluated over 6th monthsfollow-up period. Results: Thirteen patients were left without surgical intervention, they wereorthophoric or with minimal misalignment in PP with mild retraction of the globe on attemptedadduction and none of them had any vertical shoot nor abnormal head position, eighteen patients ofDRS had surgical intervention. Nine cases were exotropic, 8 cases were esotropic & 1 case wasorthophoric. Horizontal deviations were managed with unilateral or bilateral muscle recession&simultaneous recession of MR & LR. Retraction of the globe was managed with single musclerecession or simultaneous recession of both MR & LR. Vertical shoots were managed with LRY-splitting, IO recession& simultaneous recession of both MR& LR. Conclusion: Every patientof Duane retraction syndrome has an individual story, with good diagnosis & accurate grading todifferent signs we can determine the best surgical technique for the correctable signs. Singlemuscle recession & simultaneous recession of both MR & LR can correct horizontal strabismusin PP, the retraction of the globe on attempted adduction & the abnormal head position effectively.Overshoots can be corrected by LR Y-splitting, simultaneous recession of both MR& LR IOanteriorisation surgery is the best choice in cases with HT in PP & slow upshoot. Small LR resectioncan be done in esotropic cases with mild retraction (grade 1).
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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