DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for folliculitis — 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 moduleFolliculitis 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 folliculitis 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
HRas proto-oncogene, GTPase (HRAS) — HRAS 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 gnpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8ELT · 1.66 Å · ligand PHOSPHOAMINOPHOSPHONIC ACID-GUANYLATE ESTER (GNP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2012 systematic review of tetracyclines for folliculitis caused by epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs) found that in four randomised studies, preventive tetracycline treatment was associated with a significantly lower incidence of grade 2–3 folliculitis and better quality of life in three of the four studies. No randomised study evaluated tetracycline efficacy as a curative treatment, though case series reported improvement in grade ≥2 folliculitis. The review also found that the frequency and severity of folliculitis appeared greater with antibody EGFRIs than with tyrosine kinase inhibitors; in lung cancer studies, grade 3–4 folliculitis incidence was 9% with cetuximab, 8% with erlotinib, and 2% with gefitinib (p < .0001). The authors concluded that prophylactic tetracycline should be routinely prescribed for EGFRI-treated patients (level of evidence B2), but that the evidence for curative tetracycline efficacy was low (level of evidence D).
Two retrospective studies examined folliculitis after hair transplantation. A 2010 study of 27 patients who developed folliculitis after follicular-unit transplantation and 28 controls found that lesions were mostly pustules that resolved without sequela, with onset ranging from 2 days to 6 months (mean 1.44 months). No statistically significant association was found between folliculitis and patient characteristics or number of grafts transplanted. A larger 2023 multicentre retrospective study of 1317 patients reported an overall postoperative folliculitis incidence of 12.11%. Risk factors identified by logistic regression included surgery in summer (odds ratio 1.772), 4000 or more transplant grafts (OR 4.818), transplant density greater than 45 grafts/cm² (OR 2.152), and first nursing time greater than 3 days (OR 1.555). The authors proposed a preventive model based on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors.
A 2025 open-label, non-controlled pilot study tested a new medical device gel in 13 patients (mean age 30.1) diagnosed with folliculitis. After eight weeks, there was a statistically significant reduction in number of lesions (p = 0.005) and Total Severity Score (p = 0.002) compared to baseline. Patient satisfaction was reported as very satisfied (76.9%) or moderately satisfied (23.1%). Two mild side effects resolved spontaneously. The study had no control group and included only 13 patients.
What is still missing: no randomised controlled trials for curative tetracycline treatment in EGFRI-induced folliculitis; no validated risk-stratification tool for post-transplant folliculitis that has been prospectively tested; the 2025 gel study lacks a control arm and a larger sample; no head-to-head comparisons of different preventive strategies across the various causes of folliculitis.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
The Oncologist · 2012 · 52 citations · open access
Folliculitis Induced by EGFR Inhibitors, Preventive and Curative Efficacy of Tetracyclines in the Management and Incidence Rates According to the Type of EGFR Inhibitor Administered: A Systematic Literature Review
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Folliculitis is the most common side effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors (EGFRIs). It is often apparent, altering patients' quality of life and possibly impacting compliance. Variations in terms of the treatment-related incidence and intensity have not been fully elucidated. Tetracyclines have been recommended for the prophylaxis and treatment of folliculitis but their efficacy is yet to be established. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out two systematic literature reviews. The first assessed the preventive and curative efficacy of tetracyclines. The second assessed the incidence of grade 3-4 folliculitis in the main clinical studies published. RESULTS: In four randomized studies, preventive tetracycline treatment was associated with a significantly lower incidence of grade 2-3 folliculitis and a better quality of life in three of the four studies. In curative terms, tetracycline efficacy was not evaluated in any randomized study, but an improvement in grade ≥2 folliculitis was reported in case series. The frequency and severity of folliculitis seem to be greater with the antibodies than with the tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Analysis restricted to lung cancer studies showed a statistically greater incidence in terms of grade 3-4 folliculitis with cetuximab (9%) and erlotinib (8%) than with gefitinib (2%) (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Unless contraindicated, a tetracycline should be routinely prescribed prophylactically for patients treated with an EGFRI (level of evidence, B2). In curative therapy, the level of evidence for tetracycline efficacy is low (level of evidence, D). The incidence of grade 3-4 folliculitis induced by EGFRIs appears to be lower with gefitinib.
Viral folliculitis. Atypical presentations of herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and molluscum contagiosum
AbstractBACKGROUND: Viral folliculitis is an infrequently reported entity. The patients described herein were seen over a 12-year period of practice in a referral dermatologic setting. The cases involve a variety of viral infections limited to the hair follicle. OBSERVATIONS: We describe 5 patients with a variety of viral folliculitides: 2 with herpetic sycosis caused by herpes simplex; 1 with herpex simplex folliculitis (this patient also had human immunodeficiency virus); 1 with herpes zoster without blisters; and 1 with molluscum contagiosum. CONCLUSIONS: These 5 cases demonstrate that viral folliculitis has varied causes and presentations. Clinicians should consider viral agents in the differential diagnosis of superficial infectious folliculitis, especially in cases that are refractory to antibacterial or antifungal therapy.
Recipient Area Folliculitis After Follicular-Unit Transplantation: Characterization of Clinical Features and Analysis of Associated Factors
AbstractBACKGROUND: Postoperative recipient-area folliculitis may be a cause of less or delayed growth of transplanted hair and an obvious cause of distress to the patient. No study has been done to elaborate on its clinical features and assess possible factors that may correlate with its occurrence. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features and possible factors that may be associated with the development of recipient-area folliculitis after follicular-unit transplantation (FUT). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 27 patients who developed folliculitis after FUT and 28 patients without such complication. RESULTS: Lesion onset ranged from 2 days to 6 months after FUT (mean 1.44 months). Lesions were mostly pustules that resolved without sequela. Statistical analysis showed that, in terms of patient characteristics (e.g., hair features, scalp condition) and the number of grafts transplanted, there was no statistically significant difference in assessed parameters between those with and without folliculitis (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Main clinical features of postoperative folliculitis consist mostly of few to moderate self-limited pustules. In this study, regardless of management, lesions healed without scarring and without affecting graft growth. Neither patient characteristics nor number of grafts transplanted was associated with this complication.
British Journal of Dermatology · 1998 · 13 citations
Actinic superficial folliculitis
AbstractWe report a 31-year-old man with sterile follicular pustules on the shoulders, trunk and arms, recurring every year within 48-72 h of the year's first exposure to the sun. Both clinical and histological characteristics match those of the condition first described in 1985 under the name actinic superficial folliculitis. We discuss possible relationships with other similar conditions.
Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery · 2002 · 10 citations
Herpetic Folliculitis
AbstractBACKGROUND: Although herpetic skin infection is very common, herpetic folliculitis is infrequently reported in the literature. It has varied presentations, some of which are clinically atypical requiring histopathological confirmation of follicular involvement. OBJECTIVE: We describe an otherwise healthy young adult male with extensive herpetic sycosis of the beard area, which is a variant of herpetic folliculitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by typical herpetic cytopathic changes in Tzanck smear and positive viral culture for HSV-1. METHOD: This article includes a case report and a literature review of herpetic (simplex and varicella/zoster) folliculitis. CONCLUSIONS: More cases of herpetic folliculitis should be reported to improve our understanding of this disease entity. Physicians should consider herpetic or other viral etiology in patients with folliculitis even if they were healthy, especially if they show resistance to antibacterial and antifungal therapy.
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery · 2023 · 8 citations
Characterization and Risk Factors of Folliculitis after Hair Transplantation: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
AbstractBACKGROUND: Postoperative folliculitis is a common complication of hair transplantation (HT) requiring effective preventive interventions. This study characterized postoperative folliculitis and determined risk factors in patients undergoing HT. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed 1317 patients who underwent HT and completed 9-month follow-up between January of 2018 and June of 2021 at 4 medical centers. The incidence of postoperative folliculitis and demographic characteristics were assessed. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors, and the characteristics of different types of folliculitis were compared. RESULTS: The overall incidence of postoperative folliculitis was 12.11%, and clinical characteristics varied among the different types of folliculitis. Surgery in summer (OR, 1.772 [95% CI, 1.05 to 2.992]), number of transplant grafts 4000 or greater (OR, 4.818 [95% CI, 1.45 to 16.014]), transplant density greater than 45 grafts/cm 2 (OR, 2.152 [95% CI, 1.376 to 3.367]), and first nursing time greater than 3 days (OR, 1.555 [95% CI, 1.088 to 2.223]) were the main risk factors for postoperative folliculitis. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative folliculitis after HT presents different characteristics. Surgical factors and postoperative nursing care were demonstrated to be related to folliculitis. The authors propose a preventive folliculitis model based on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, III.
Open-Label, Non-Controlled Pilot Study of a New Medical Device Gel for the Treatment of Folliculitis: A Post Market Clinic Follow-Up Assessment
AbstractBackground: There is growing interest in developing safe and effective treatments for folliculitis. This study aims to assess a recently developed medical device widely used by dermatologists in their daily practice. Methods: This was an open, non-comparative, single-group pilot study including males and females (between ≥ 18 and ≤ 45 years) diagnosed with folliculitis. Exclusion criteria were aesthetic surgery or skin improvement treatments (including filler injections) in the previous six months. The performance outcomes included number of lesions, Total Severity Score (TSS), Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, Investigator Global Assessment of Performance (IGAP), and Dermatology Life Quality Index. Safety was ascertained by Adverse Events. Results: Thirteen patients (mean age 30.1 ± 7.72) were included. After eight weeks of treatment, there was a statistically significant difference in the number of lesions (p = 0.005) and TSS (p = 0.002) compared to the baseline values. The patients were very satisfied (76.9%) or moderately satisfied (23.1%) with the treatment. The IGAP and the QoL scale revealed very positive results. Safety was good, with two mild side effects spontaneously resolved. Conclusions: The product's efficacy and safety profile indicate its potential to become a novel instrument for dermatologists in the management of folliculitis.
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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