DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for epidermodysplasia verruciformis — screening already-approved drugs against its 4-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleEpidermodysplasia verruciformis maps to a 4-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 epidermodysplasia verruciformis 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
calcium and integrin binding 1 (CIB1) — CIB1 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 apo structuredrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6OCX · 1.9 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Epidermodysplasia verruciformis is a rare heritable disease, first described in 1922, characterised by unusual susceptibility to specific human papillomavirus types and a propensity for developing malignant skin tumours. Partial defects in cell-mediated immunity have been demonstrated. Up to 1939, 42 probable cases had been recorded in the literature; about 40 per cent of patients whose cases were reported were Japanese and Russian Asiatics, and the rest except one were Europeans. In many instances the diagnosis was based on inconclusive evidence.
A 2010 report described a young patient treated successfully with surgical treatment. A 2025 report described a 30-year-old female with a 10-year history of extensive and multiple EV lesions who underwent surgery to remove verrucous plaques and residual lesions, followed by photodynamic therapy once a week for three times. After a one-year follow-up, no recurrence was observed, and the patient was satisfied. The authors concluded that surgery combined with photodynamic therapy seems promising but that more research is needed for verification.
A 2007 report described a patient with EV who was treated unsuccessfully with imiquimod. A 2021 report described an acquired form of epidermodysplasia verruciformis in an HIV-positive patient, noting that antiretroviral therapy leads to a cutaneous condition that makes patients more resistant to any treatment modality.
What is still missing are controlled trials with adequate sample sizes, standardised outcome measures, and clear patient stratification by genetic versus acquired forms, as well as funding for such studies.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Plastic Surgery · 2010 · 17 citations
Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis: An Early and Unusual Presentation
AbstractEpidermodysplasia verruciformis is a rare, heritable disease characterized by an unusual susceptibility to infection with specific types of human papillomavirus and a propensity for developing malignant skin tumours. Partial defects in cell-mediated immunity have been demonstrated in this disease. In the present report, a young patient with epidermodysplasia verruciformis who was treated successfully with surgical treatment is described.
Plastic Surgery · 2010 · 15 citations · open access
Epidermodysplasia verruciformis: An early and unusual presentation
AbstractEpidermodysplasia verruciformis is a rare, heritable disease characterized by an unusual susceptibility to infection with specific types of human papillomavirus and a propensity for developing malignant skin tumours. Partial defects in cell-mediated immunity have been demonstrated in this disease. In the present report, a young patient with epidermodysplasia verruciformis who was treated successfully with surgical treatment is described.
International Journal of Dermatology · 2007 · 14 citations
Epidermodysplasia verruciformis: unsuccessful therapeutic approach with imiquimod
AbstractEpidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare heritable disease characterized by an unusual susceptibility to infection with specific types of human papillomavirus and a propensity for developing skin malignant tumors. Partial defects in cell-mediated immunity have been demonstrated in this disease. Here, we describe a patient with EV who was treated unsuccessfully with imiquimod.
Photobiomodulation Photomedicine and Laser Surgery · 2025 · 0 citations
Multiple Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis Successfully Treated by Surgery Combined with Photodynamic Therapy
AbstractObjective: To explore an effective treatment for extensive and multiple epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV). Methods: A 30-year-old female with a 10-year history of EV lesions underwent surgery to remove verrucous plaques and residual lesions, followed by photodynamic therapy once a week for three times. Results: After a one-year follow-up, no recurrence was observed, and the patient was satisfied with the outcome. Conclusion: Surgery combined with photodynamic therapy seems promising for treating extensive and multiple EV, but more research is needed for verification.
AbstractEpidermodysplasia verruciformis was first described by Lewandowsky and Lutz<sup>1</sup>in 1922. Since then nearly 50 cases purporting to be instances of this disease have been recorded in the literature. It is considered to be a genodermatosis and is essentially an inherited tendency of the upper layers of the epidermis to undergo a peculiar dysplasia. Up to 1939, 42 probable cases of epidermodysplasia verruciformis were recorded in the literature. The first 24 of these cases were tabulated by Mashkilleison<sup>2</sup>in 1928, and 18 other cases subsequently reported were tabulated by Sullivan and Ellis<sup>3</sup>in 1939. It is noteworthy that about 40 per cent of the patients whose cases were reported were Japanese and Russian Asiatics, and the rest, except 1, were Europeans. In a critical analysis of these cases it was shown that in many instances the acceptance of the diagnosis was often based on either inconclusive evidence
International Journal for Innovation Education and Research · 2021 · 0 citations · open access
Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis acquired in an HIV-positive patient
AbstractThe disease epidermodysplasia verruciformis is a rare genodermatosis, autosomal recessive in most cases, characterized by susceptibility to infection by types of HPV of the genus β (EV-HPV) that do not occur in immunocompetent clinics. With the increased survival of immunosuppressed patients, especially with AIDS, a form of the disease called epidermodysplasia verruciformis acquired from a clinician similar to the genetic disease has been reduced, but challenging to manage, since an antiretroviral therapy leads to a cutaneous one, making patients more resistant to any treatment modality.
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.
