DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for duodenitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 35-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDuodenitis maps to a 35-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 duodenitis 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
fragile histidine triad diadenosine triphosphatase (FHIT) — FHIT 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 frudrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1FIT · 1.85 Å · ligand beta-D-fructofuranose (FRU). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 1998 study of 75 children (mean age 9 years), 24 had biopsy-proved duodenitis and 51 were healthy controls. Upper gastrointestinal barium examination had a sensitivity of 46% and specificity of 98% for detecting duodenitis, while endoscopy had a sensitivity of 54% and specificity of 92%. Among 15 children with mild duodenitis, 13 had normal radiologic findings and 11 had normal endoscopic findings. All nine children with severe duodenitis had mucosal-fold thickening of 4 mm or more (3 mm in one infant) on barium study and friability or ulceration at endoscopy. The pattern of fold thickening was diffuse in celiac, autoimmune, and adenovirus disease, and proximal in peptic ulcer and Crohn disease.
A 2017 prospective study of 101 duodenal biopsies from patients with malabsorption symptoms in southern India found 16 cases of celiac disease (15.8%), 15 of autoimmune duodenitis (14%), 13 of nutritional deficiency-associated duodenitis (12.8%), five of infectious duodenitis (5%), 41 of non-specific duodenitis (40.6%), and 10.9% miscellaneous causes. Villous crypt architecture and intraepithelial lymphocyte counts, particularly at villous tips, were statistically different between celiac disease and other groups. The authors concluded that a combination of clinical, serological, endoscopic, and histopathologic features is essential for diagnosing celiac disease and autoimmune duodenitis, and that biopsy can identify infectious duodenitis missed by other tests.
A 2024 description characterises chronic duodenitis as inflammatory, dystrophic, and regenerative changes in the duodenal wall, predominantly affecting the mucosa, with structural reorganisation of glands, metaplasia, atrophy, and a prolonged course. A 1950 report of six childhood cases noted prompt recovery in all but one, where chronic duodenitis persisted for four years despite adequate medical treatment. A 1942 case described duodenitis caused by two beans lodged in the duodenal cap for at least six months.
No drug treatment for duodenitis is evaluated in any of these abstracts. What is missing is any controlled trial of a specific therapy, any data on patient stratification beyond histologic subtype, and any funding for prospective treatment studies in children or adults.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Radiology · 1998 · 12 citations
Duodenitis in children: correlation of radiologic findings with endoscopic and pathologic findings.
AbstractPURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of barium studies in the diagnosis of duodenitis in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five children (45 boys and 30 girls; mean age, 9 years) underwent upper gastrointestinal (GI) examinations. Twenty-four of the children had biopsy-proved duodenitis, and 51 were healthy control subjects. Radiologic findings were reviewed by two experienced, blinded observers and correlated with endoscopic and histologic results. Duodenal mucosal-fold thickness was measured on spot radiographs (20% magnification), and the extent of disease was evaluated. RESULTS: Of 15 children with mild duodenitis, 13 had normal radiologic findings and 11 had normal findings at esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Of nine children with severe duodenitis, all had friability or ulceration at endoscopy and mucosal-fold thickening of greater than or equal to 4 mm (> or = 3 mm in one infant aged less than 1 year) at upper GI examination. Mucosal-fold thickening was diffuse in patients with celiac, autoimmune, and adenovirus disease and was proximal in patients with peptic ulcer and Crohn disease. Of 51 control subjects, 50 had normal radiologic results, while 47 had normal endoscopic results. The sensitivity of upper GI examination for mild and severe duodenitis combined was 46% with a specificity of 98%, whereas endoscopy had a sensitivity of 54% and specificity of 92%. CONCLUSION: Mucosal-fold thickening was a specific sign of duodenitis in children and should be investigated. Upper GI examination yielded results similar to those at endoscopy.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH · 2017 · 11 citations · open access
Morphologic Spectrum of Duodenal Biopsies in Malabsorption: A Study from Southern India
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Duodenal endoscopic biopsy is a common investigation for various non-neoplastic conditions. Malabsorption is a common indication for duodenal biopsy in our setting. AIM: Our study was undertaken to study the morphologic spectrum of non-neoplastic conditions of duodenum emphasizing on Intraepithelial Lymphocytes (IELs) and to have a clinico-pathologic correlation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective descriptive study. Duodenal biopsies from 101 patients with symptoms of malabsorption were studied according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Informed written consent was taken. Clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, and serological parameters were collected wherever available. Histomorphological parameters were studied on Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained sections. Intraepithelial lymphocyte counts were done on CD3, CD4 and CD8 Immunohistochemical (IHC) stained sections and correlated. RESULTS: We studied 101 duodenal biopsies. Our spectrum included 16 patients of celiac disease (CD) (15.8%), 15 autoimmune duodenitis (14%), 13 nutritional deficiency associated duodenitis (12.8%), five infectious duodenitis (5%) and 41 patients of non-specific duodenitis (40.6%) and 10.9% miscellaneous causes of duodenitis. Villous crypt architecture, IEL counts; villous tip IEL counts were statistically significant between CD and other disease groups. CONCLUSION: A constellation of clinical, serological, endoscopic and histopathologic features is essential in diagnosing CD and autoimmune duodenitis. Biopsy is also a useful tool in diagnosing infectious duodenitis that are missed in other investigations.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
CHRONIC PRIMARY ULCERATIVE DUODENITIS WITH MULTIPLE EROSIONS OF THE DUODENAL BULB
AbstractChronic duodenitis is a disease characterised by inflammatory, dystrophic and regenerative changes in the duodenal wall, predominantly affecting the mucosa. These changes are accompanied by structural reorganization of the glandular apparatus, the development of metaplasia and atrophy, and a prolonged course.
AbstractSix cases of duodenitis in childhood are reported and the literature is briefly reviewed. Recovery was prompt and uneventful in all but one patient in this group. In the single instance chronic duodenitis existed for a period of four years despite a medical regime considered adequate. The possible presence of an inflammatory lesion of the duodenum should be considered in any child with vague or ulcer-like abdominal complaints. A clinical diagnosis can only be suspected and roentgen studies of the stomach and duodenum are indicated in cases of obscure gastric discomfort.
Filling-defects within the Barium-filled Duodenal Cap
AbstractA case of duodenitis, caused by the presence of two beans lodged in the duodenal cap for at least six months, is reported. The case was referred to me by my medical colleague, Major W. M. Macleod, R.A.M.C., to whom I wish to express my thanks for allowing me free use of his clinical notes. He was as interested as I in the amusing sequence of events which disproved my original diagnosis. It is my great regret that it has proved impossible to include the films of the case in this report.
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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