DeCure for Extra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglioma
DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for extra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglioma — screening already-approved drugs against its 3-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleExtra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglioma maps to a 3-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 extra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglioma 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
kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) — KDR 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 ethylsulfonyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1Y6A · 2.1 Å · ligand N-[5-(ETHYLSULFONYL)-2-METHOXYPHENYL]-5-[3-(2-PYRIDINYL)PHENYL]-1,3-OXAZOL-2-AMINE (AAZ). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2010 series of 67 retroperitoneal extra-adrenal paragangliomas treated between 1999 and 2009 reported that all patients underwent successful surgical resection. Tumour size ranged from 3 cm to 25 cm. During follow-up, nine cases were classified as malignant. The authors stated that 131-MIBG and octreotide had high sensitivity and accuracy for diagnosis, and that complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice for primary, recurrent, or metastatic disease. Lifelong follow-up was recommended.
Several case reports describe the same pattern. A 2017 report of a 30-year-old woman with hypertension and a retroperitoneal mass was managed with alpha-adrenergic blocking agents and surgical resection. A 2016 case report notes that 40–50% of retroperitoneal paragangliomas are malignant and that surgical resection and radiotherapy are the preferred local treatments. A 2015 report describes a 66-year-old woman with multifocal benign retroperitoneal paraganglioma that was completely removed. A 2014 report presents a 16-year-old boy with multiple extra-adrenal retroperitoneal paragangliomas. A 2016 paediatric case of a 12-year-old girl with a giant paraganglioma, severe hypertension, and end-organ damage required preoperative blood pressure control with intravenous nitroprusside and oral prazosin, amlodipine, labetalol, and metoprolol; intraoperative rises were managed with nitroglycerine, esmolol, nitroprusside, and propofol.
No abstract reports randomised trial data, controlled comparisons of drug regimens, or long-term survival statistics beyond noting that nine of 67 patients in the largest series had malignant disease. There is no evidence from these abstracts that any drug other than perioperative alpha-blockade and antihypertensives has been tested for this disease. What is missing is prospective data on which patients progress to malignancy, any systemic therapy for unresectable or metastatic disease, and stratification by genetic mutation or tumour functional status.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Urology Annals · 2010 · 49 citations · open access
A decade of clinical experience with extra-adrenal paragangliomas of retroperitoneum: Report of 67 cases and a literature review
AbstractOBJECT: The purpose was to highlight the diagnosis and treatment of extra-adrenal para-gangliomas, which often causes catecholamine hypersecretion and hypertension. METHODS: 67 cases of extra-adrenal paraganglioma of retroperitoneum proven pathologically from 1999 to 2009 were reviewed and studied after operation. Endocrine secretion examinations, B-US, CT, MRI, 131-MIBG, octreotide and hands microcirculation inspection were used to diagnose the disease. RESULTS: All patients underwent successful surgical resection of the tumors, which proved to be paragangliomas. They were from 3 cm to 25 cm in size. Almost all of them were diffusely positive for cgA, syn, NSE and s-100 by immunohitochemical staining. There were nine cases assayed malignant paraganglioma by the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: 131-MIBG and octreotide have high sensitivity and accuracy in diagosing extra-adrenal paraganglioma. Surgical treatment should be carried out on the basis of correct drug preparation of α-receptor blocker, such as prazosin and phenoxybenzamine. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice for extra-adrenal paragangliomas as well as recurrent or metastatic disease, which could be resected laparoscopically. Intimate lifelong follow-up is necessary and important.
Galicia Clínica · 2017 · 2 citations · open access
Retroperitoneal Paraganglioma – a rare cause of arterial hypertension
AbstractParagangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours, most commonly found in adults. These differ from pheochromocytomas in that their location is extra-adrenal, and they are responsible for about 1% of arterial hypertension aetiologies. We report the case of a 30-year-old female whose past medical history was unremarkable. However, her arterial hypertension led to further examination in search of secondary aetiologies, in which a retroperitoneal mass and an increase in levels of catecholamines were detected; findings that led to the final diagnosis of paraganglioma. A multidisciplinary team, whose approach was to use pharmacological alpha-adrenergic blocking agents and a surgical resection of the lesion, treated the patient. The patient is clinically well but will continue to be monitored as an outpatient, and genetic testing is being encouraged.
Bakirkoy Tip Dergisi / Medical Journal of Bakirkoy · 2016 · 1 citations
Retroperitoneal extra-adrenal paraganglioma: case report
AbstractParaganglioma (PG), also known as extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma, is a rare neuroectodermal tumor. The incidence of extra-adrenal paraganglioma is between 00.1-0.1%. Paragangliomas originating from the retroperitoneum are generally functional. 40-50% of them are malignant and they generally have a slow progression. Surgical resection and radiotherapy are the preferred methods for the local treatment of these tumors. A case with a tumor localized in the retroperitoneal space that was totally resected by surgical method was evaluated.
Multifocal Extra-Adrenal Paraganglioma – Case Report
AbstractParaganglioma is a rare neoplasm originating from extra-adrenal pheochromocytes of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. It is usually benign and the treatment method of choice is a complete resection of the tumour. The authors present a case of 66-year-old female patient with a multifocal benign retroperitoneal paraganglioma, which was completely removed during surgery.
Medical & Surgical Urology · 2014 · 0 citations · open access
Bi-Focal Retroperitoneal Paraganglioma in a Young Patient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
AbstractExtra-adrenal paraganglioma of the retroperitoneum are rare neuroendocrine tumors arising from specialized neural crest cells, intimately associated with sympathetic nervous tissue and distributed along the aorta. Here we present a case of multiple extra-adrenal retroperitoneal paraganglioma in a 16-year-old boy. The clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, and surgical pathologic findings were reported. A comprehensive review of the medical literature concerning multiple extra-adrenal paraganglioma in the pediatric and adult population is also discussed.
Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia · 2016 · 0 citations · open access
Giant paraganglioma in a child: Medical and anaesthetic concerns
AbstractParaganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine catecholamine producing tumour in childhood which arises outside the adrenal medulla. We present a 12 year old girl with giant paraganglioma with severe hypertension and end organ damage. Diagnosis was confirmed with 24 h urinary Vanillymandelic Acid (VMA) and CT scan. Preoperative blood pressure was controlled with intravenous nitroprusside, and oral prazosin, amlodepine, labetalol and metoprolol. General anaesthesia with epidural analgesia was given. Intra operative blood pressure rise was managed with infusion of nitriglycerine (NTG), esmolol, nitroprusside and propofol.
Annals of Medicine and Surgery · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
A 37-year-old female with carotid body paragangliomas and metastases in the lung: a rare case report from Syria
AbstractIntroduction: A paraganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm that may develop at various body sites (including the head, neck, thorax, and abdomen). It is a benign tumor, but in rare cases, it can metastasize to other parts of the body. In less than 30%, this tumor secretes catecholamines. Norepinephrine is dominant in extra-adrenal asymptomatic cases, or its symptoms include headaches, hypertension, or sympathetic paraganglia. The tumor may cause palpitations, excessive sweating, and anxiety. Usually, laboratory tests such as catecholamine tests and imaging tests are used to diagnose it .Surgery is the most common treatment, but there are other treatment options, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy. Case presentation: We present a 37-year-old female with parietal chest pain, exertional dyspnea, palpitations, and left neck swelling, found to have metastatic paraganglioma diagnosed via biopsy. The patient underwent surgery to remove the tumor, resulting in significant symptom improvement without complications. Clinical discussion: Paragangliomas (PGLs) are neuroendocrine tumors found in ganglia, with head and neck PGL (HNPGL) making up 65-70% of PGL cases. Most HNPGLs are benign, but 6-19% can metastasize, complicating diagnosis and surgical removal due to vascular challenges and potential complications like Horner syndrome and CN damage. Conclusion: Paragangliomas can cause varied symptoms, sometimes mimicking other conditions. Rarely, carotid body tumors may metastasize, potentially explaining atypical symptoms alongside classic ones.
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.
