DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 27-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleExtraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma maps to a 27-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 extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma 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
isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP(+)) 2 (IDH2) — IDH2 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 ndpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 5I96 · 1.55 Å · ligand NADPH DIHYDRO-NICOTINAMIDE-ADENINE-DINUCLEOTIDE PHOSPHATE (NDP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumour of the extremities. Fine needle aspiration cytology can be diagnostic even when obvious chondroid differentiation is absent on light microscopy, as shown by a case in which cellular myxoid fragments with grooved nuclei arranged in a cordlike pattern suggested the diagnosis, later confirmed by histopathology. Two further case reports describe patients with large lobed masses in the buttock and knee, identified by MRI with enhancement, and composed of strands of oval and spindle cells in abundant myxoid stroma.
Response to chemotherapy has generally been very poor. One 2010 review notes that overall results are disappointing because no significant radiologic or clinical responses have been observed with chemotherapy, with the exception of a single reported case. That case involved a 15-year-old girl with an unresectable sacrococcygeal tumour who achieved complete remission after four cycles of chemotherapy, lasting more than six months. In a separate paediatric case, a 9-year-old girl with EMC of the thigh underwent above-knee amputation; five months later a lung metastasis was resected after one course of ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide, followed by eight more courses, and she remained in remission at two-year follow-up.
No controlled trial data exist for this disease. The evidence consists entirely of single case reports and small case series. What is missing is any prospective trial large enough to establish whether chemotherapy offers reproducible benefit, any systematic investigation of tumour biology to identify which patients might respond, and the funding needed to overcome the extreme rarity of the tumour and the consequent difficulty of patient accrual.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Acta Cytologica · 2000 · 16 citations
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Primary Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma
AbstractBACKGROUND: Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumor of the extremities. Since it usually lacks obvious chondroid differentiation on light microscopy, it needs to be distinguished from other myxoid soft tissue sarcomas. CASE REPORT: The diagnosis of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma was made on fine needle aspiration in a patient with a swelling in the right calf. Cellular myxoid fragments having round to oval cells with grooved nuclei arranged in a cordlike pattern suggested chondroid differentiation. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology. CONCLUSION: Fine needle aspiration cytology can be diagnostic of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma even in the absence of obvious chondroid differentiation.
Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma: a case report of complete remission by chemotherapy and review of the literature
AbstractExtraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma. Surgery is the cornerstone of the management of this tumour. The response rate to chemotherapy has been very poor; with the exception of one reported case which showed promising results, overall results are disappointing because no significant radiologic or clinical responses have been noted with chemotherapy. Here we report the case of a 15-year-old girl who presented with extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma in the sacrococcygeal region which was regarded as unresectable. After four cycles of chemotherapy the mass showed complete remission which has lasted >6 months.
Oncology Letters · 2014 · 9 citations · open access
Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma: A report of two cases
AbstractExtraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a relatively rare but well-defined neoplasm. This report describes two patients, one with EMC of the buttock and one with EMC of the knee. The two cases presented with large lobed masses and long T1 and T2 signaling identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An enhanced MRI scan demonstrated enhancement of the tumors. The tumors were composed of strands or cords of oval and spindle cells embedded in abundant myxoid stroma. Pathology results confirmed EMC.
Journal of orthopaedic surgery · 2014 · 7 citations · open access
Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma of the Thigh in a Child: A Case Report
AbstractExtraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is aggressive in children. The condition in children differs to that in adults and to skeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. We report on a 9-year-old girl with EMC in her left thigh. She underwent above-knee amputation. Five months later, a small mass was noted at the right lower lobe of the lung. The patient underwent one course of ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide chemotherapy, followed by resection of the mass and 8 more courses of chemotherapy. At the 2-year follow-up, she was in remission radiologically.
Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma: A Case Report
AbstractExtraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMCS) is a rare malignant soft tissue tumor that usually develops in the deep parts of the proximal extremities and limb girdles in middle-aged adults. Its biologic behavior and pathogenesis are poorly understood. EMCS has a prolonged and indolent clinical course, with a high rate of local recurrences and distant metastases before tumor-related death. The diagnosis and management of this tumor must be early and multidisciplinary.
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.
