DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for ganglioglioma — screening already-approved drugs against its 21-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleGanglioglioma maps to a 21-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 ganglioglioma 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
Gangliogliomas are indolent tumours composed of neoplastic glial and neuronal cells. In a series of 14 cases from 1981, the histological appearance was highly variable and did not relate to biological behaviour; prognosis depended on location and treatment, and the lesion was considered nonaggressive and consistent with long survival. A 1998 study reviewed 42 supratentorial gangliogliomas operated on since 1985; of 29 initially histologically benign cases, 14 received postoperative radiation therapy and 14 did not. Four benign gangliogliomas exhibited malignant degeneration of the glial component, and all four occurred in patients who had undergone postoperative irradiation. The time to identified histological change in recurrent tumours averaged 65 months (range 22–144 months). The authors concluded that this represented a potential correlation requiring further study.
A 2014 retrospective study of 31 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed ganglioglioma treated from 2003 to 2011 found that 19 presented with epileptic seizure. Factors associated with preoperative seizure were supratentorial lesion and temporal lobe involvement (p=0.016 and 0.008). After a mean follow-up of 2.8 years (range 1.3–6.3), 11 of 16 patients (68.8%) achieved seizure freedom (Engel class I). Early surgery (seizure duration less than 3 years) was a significant predictor of favourable seizure outcome (p=0.013). The authors concluded that intraoperative electrocorticography was not inevitable and that simple lesionectomy was sufficient for satisfactory seizure control.
A 2024 case report described a 66-year-old woman with a sacral spinal ganglioglioma at the left S1 root. She underwent near-total tumour resection and was pain-free and ambulatory postoperatively. The report noted that total resection was challenging due to the tumour’s neural adherence, and that radiotherapy and chemotherapy are generally not used for low-grade gangliogliomas. The authors stated that continued research is crucial for advancing treatment strategies.
What is still missing: prospective data on the risk of malignant degeneration after radiotherapy, given the small retrospective series from 1998; larger studies to confirm whether early surgery consistently improves seizure outcomes; and any controlled trials of adjuvant therapy for recurrent or incompletely resected gangliogliomas, as current evidence rests on case series and expert opinion. Patient stratification by molecular markers has not been reported in these abstracts.
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 neurosurgery · 1981 · 196 citations
Gangliogliomas: pathological and clinical correlation
AbstractFourteen cases of ganglioglioma are analyzed. This tumor can be found anywhere within the central nervous system. The histological appearance is highly variable and does not relate to the biological behavior. The prognosis depends on the location and possible modes of treatment. Overall, the lesion appears to be nonaggressive and consistent with long survival.
Radiation Therapy and Malignant Degeneration of Benign Supratentorial Gangliogliomas
AbstractOBJECTIVE: Gangliogliomas are indolent tumors comprised of neoplastic glial and neuronal cells. Benign lesions tend to be associated with long survival unless the tumor degenerates to a histologically malignant form. This study reviews four cases of histologically proven benign ganglioglioma that later demonstrated malignant features within the glial component of the tumor. Features common to each case are analyzed, and similar cases from the literature are reviewed. METHODS: The records of 42 supratentorial gangliogliomas operated on at our institution since 1985 were reviewed. Special attention was paid to histological characteristics, use of adjuvant radiotherapy, time to tumor recurrence, and histology of the recurrent tumor. RESULTS: Of the 42 cases of gangliogliomas, 29 were initially histologically benign. Of these 29, 14 received postoperative radiation therapy and 14 did not; it was unclear whether one patient received adjuvant radiotherapy, and this patient was excluded from further analysis. Four benign gangliogliomas exhibited malignant degeneration of the glial component. These four all occurred in patients who had undergone postoperative irradiation. The time to identified histological change within recurrent tumors averaged 65 months (range, 22-144 mo). CONCLUSION: All of the benign gangliogliomas undergoing malignant change had postoperative radiation therapy as a common feature. This represents a potential correlation that requires further study.
Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences · 2014 · 15 citations · open access
Factors associated with preoperative and postoperative epileptic seizure in patients with cerebral ganglioglioma
AbstractOBJECTIVE: To explore the factors associated with preoperative epileptic seizure and surgical outcome in patients with cerebral gangliolioma (GG). METHODS: A total of 31 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed ganglioglioma and surgically treated from January 2003 to June 2011 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data, surgical procedure and follow-up information were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Nineteen patients presented with epileptic seizure, of which 63.2% were males. The mean age at epilepsy surgery and mean seizure duration were 25.6 years and 2.3 years respectively. Factors associated with preoperative epileptic seizure were supratentorial lesion and temporal lobe involvement (p=0.016 and 0.008). Intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) was applied in 8 out of 19 epilepsy patients. Eighteen achieved total tumor excision. After a mean follow up of 2.8 (1.3-6.3) years, 11 (68.8%, 11/16) achieved seizure free (Engel class I). Early surgery (seizure duration <3 years) was a significant predictor of favorable seizure outcome (p=0.013). None of the factors including seizure type, tumor location, neuroimaging characteristics and application of intraoperative ECoG or surgical strategy were found to be significantly associated with postoperative seizure outcome. Postoperative combination of AEDs was unnecessary for seizure control. CONCLUSIONS: Ganglioglioma with temporal lobe involvement usually associated with intractable epilepsy. Early surgical resection is strongly suggested to achieve favorable outcome. Intraoperative ECoG is not inevitable and simple lesionectomy is sufficient for satisfactory seizure control. Early accurate diagnosis of ganglioglioma should be established on comprehensive consideration and plays an important role in dealing with these patients.
International Journal of Surgery Case Reports · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
A ganglioglioma versus a schwannoma: Which is in the sacral spine?
AbstractINTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Sacral spinal gangliogliomas, rare WHO grade I tumors, present a surgical challenge due to their proximity to critical nerve roots. Symptoms often include lower back pain, sciatica, and bladder dysfunction. Diagnosis is confirmed through MRI and biopsy, with surgical resection being the primary treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old woman presented with left lower limb pain and weakness. MRI showed an intradural lesion at the left S1 root. She underwent surgery, resulting in near-total tumor resection. Postoperatively, she was pain-free and ambulatory. Pathology confirmed a ganglioglioma. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Initially suspected as a disc herniation, MRI indicated a schwannoma-like lesion, but surgery and pathology revealed a ganglioglioma. Total resection was challenging due to the tumor's neural adherence. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are generally not used for low-grade gangliogliomas. CONCLUSION: Treating sacral spinal gangliogliomas requires precise surgery and a multidisciplinary approach. Accurate diagnosis and careful planning are essential for minimizing neurological risks and improving patient outcomes. Continued research is crucial for advancing treatment strategies.
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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