DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Gallbladder Squamous Cell Carcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleGallbladder Squamous Cell Carcinoma maps to a 2-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 gallbladder squamous cell carcinoma 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
KRas proto-oncogene, GTPase (KRAS) — KRAS 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 7VVB · 1.7 Å · ligand PHOSPHOAMINOPHOSPHONIC ACID-GUANYLATE ESTER (GNP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Pure squamous cell carcinoma accounts for about 3% of gallbladder malignancies, as stated in two separate case reports from 2012 and 2016. A 1986 case described a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma arising alongside squamous metaplasia and in situ adenocarcinoma, but the abstract offers no treatment or survival data. The 2012 report notes a 35-year-old woman with a large hepatic mass at diagnosis, and concludes that early diagnosis is the most important parameter for improving survival, without providing any survival numbers.
The 2016 review states that most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and have bad therapeutic efficacy. Radical surgery is the only chance for long-term survival in early-stage disease. For unresectable cancer, especially squamous cell carcinoma, no therapy is defined. The review mentions recent reports of a benefit from adjuvant chemoradiation but gives no response rates or survival figures.
A 2011 German case describes a 54-year-old woman who underwent R1 resection followed by chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. Despite a poor prognosis, the disease remained stable 18 months later with a Karnofsky index of 100%. This is a single patient, not a trial. A 2008 review of targeted therapies for gallbladder cancer addresses only adenocarcinomas, reporting chemotherapy response rates below 30% and no demonstrated survival benefit from palliative systemic therapy. A 2020 proteomics study notes that 2-year survival for unresectable gallbladder carcinoma is less than 10%, but does not test any drug.
What is missing: no prospective trial has been conducted specifically for gallbladder squamous cell carcinoma. There is no defined systemic therapy for unresectable disease, no validated molecular targets for this histology, and no patient stratification strategy. Funding for a dedicated trial, a reliable animal model, and a mechanism to enrol patients before they reach an advanced stage are all absent.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Journal of Surgical Oncology · 2006 · 104 citations
Surgical strategies in patients with gallbladder cancer: Nihilism to optimism
AbstractINTRODUCTION: Gallbladder cancer is an aggressive disease with dismal results of surgical treatment and a poor prognosis. However, over the last few decades selected groups have reported improved results with aggressive surgery for gallbladder cancer. METHODS: Review of recent world literature was done to provide an update on the current concepts of surgical treatment of this disease. RESULTS: Long-term survival is possible in early stage gallbladder carcinoma. Tis and T1a gallbladder carcinoma can be treated with simple cholecystectomy only. However, in T1b and beyond cancers, aggressive surgery (extended cholecystectomy) is important in improving the long-term prognosis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy should not be performed where there is a high index of suspicion of malignancy due to the frequent association with factors (such as gallbladder perforation and bile spill) which may lead to implantation of cancer cells and dissemination. Surgical resection for advanced carcinoma gallbladder is recommended only if a potentially curative R0 resection is possible. Aggressive surgery with vascular and multivisceral resection has been shown to be feasible albeit with an increase in mortality and morbidity. However, the true benefit of these radical resections is yet to be realized, as the actual number of long-term survivors of advanced gallbladder carcinoma is few. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for gallbladder carcinoma, like other malignancies, has the potential to be curative only in local or regional disease. Pattern of loco-regional spread of disease dictates the surgical procedure. Radical surgery improves survival in early gallbladder carcinoma. The long-term benefit of aggressive surgery for advanced disease is unclear and may be offset by the high mortality and morbidity.
SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE GALLBLADDER ASSOCIATED WITH SQUAMOUS METAPLASIA AND ADENOCARCINOMA IN SITU OF THE MUCOSAL COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM
AbstractA case of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder is presented. Unlike most previously reported cases, the tumor developed in association with squamous metaplasia as well as dysplastic and in situ adenocarcinomatous changes of the gallbladder epithelium. The significance of these lesions is discussed in relation to the histogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma of this organ.
Turkish Journal of Pathology · 2012 · 13 citations · open access
A case of pure endophytic squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder: a rare entity with aggressive behaviour
AbstractPure squamous cell carcinoma of gallbladder is a rare tumor accounting for only 3% of the malignancies of gallbladder. A 35-year-old female presented with pain and lump in right hypochondrium. Ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a thickened gallbladder filled with stones without any obvious growth and a large hepatic mass. Histologically, a pure type of well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of gallbladder was diagnosed after excluding all possible differential diagnoses owing to different histogenesis and aggressive biological behaviour. Early diagnosis is the most important parameter for improving the survival indices among the patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder.
Translational Gastroenterology and Hepatology · 2016 · 12 citations · open access
Squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder
AbstractGallbladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary tract. The majority of cases are adenocarcinoma (AC). Pure squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of gallbladder accounts only 3% of the malignant neoplasm of this organ. Many patients are at advanced stage when diagnosed and have bad therapeutic efficacy. At present, radical surgery is the only chance to gain long-term survival for patients with early-stage gallbladder cancers. Recent reports have shown a benefit of adjuvant chemoradiation in this type of tumor. At present, no therapy is defined for unresectable cancer of the gallbladder, especially for SCC.
Current Opinion in Gastroenterology · 2008 · 6 citations
Targeted therapies for cancer of the gallbladder
AbstractPURPOSE OF REVIEW: Adenocarcinomas of the gallbladder are uncommon, aggressive tumors with poor survival. This review summarizes advances in understanding the biology of gallbladder cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Published response rates of adenocarcinomas of the gallbladder to chemotherapy are less than 30% and no survival benefit has been demonstrated from palliative systemic therapy. New information on the molecular carcinogenic mechanisms of these malignancies, combined with findings from animal models, may lead to improved treatment for patients. SUMMARY: Improved understanding of the molecular carcinogenesis of adenocarcinomas of the gallbladder, coupled with the availability of novel molecularly 'targeted' chemotherapeutic agents, may improve outcome for patients.
DMW - Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift · 2011 · 3 citations
Primäres Plattenepithelkarzinom der Gallenblase als seltene Ursache für eine akute Cholezystitis
AbstractHISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 54-year-old woman with signs of acute cholecystitis but no other relevant diseases was admitted into our hospital. INVESTIGATIONS: The abdominal ultrasonography showed an acute cholecystitis with possibly an abscess in the bed of the gallbladder (DD gall bladder cancer). Therefore a laparoscopy was performed which revealed a tumorous infiltrating the adjacent organs. A R1 resection was performed. DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: The histological examination revealed the rare finding of a squamous cell cancer of the gall bladder. On advice of our tumor board, chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-flourouracil was initiated. Tumor-associated bile duct stenosis required endoscopic stent implantation. Despite the poor prognosis the disease remained stable 18 month later, with a Karnofsky index of 100 %. CONCLUSION: Squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder is rare and requires a good interdisciplinary management. In an individual setting it is possible to increase survival with interdisciplinary treatment and palliative chemotherapy.
AbstractGallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a rare and understudied cancer entity. Radical surgery is the only potentially curative treatment option but due to late diagnosis few patients are eligible and 2-year survival rates of unresectable GBC is less than 10%. Therefore, the development of new treatment options, including targeted therapy for GBC is required to improve patient outcome.
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.
