DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for Granular Cell Tumor — 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 moduleGranular Cell Tumor 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 granular cell tumor 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
ASPSCR1 tether for SLC2A4, UBX domain containing (ASPSCR1) — ASPSCR1 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 adpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 5IFS · 2.46 Å · ligand ADENOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (ADP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Granular cell tumour is rare and usually benign, with a malignant incidence of 2% according to a 2018 report of three cases. That report states the tumour is not sensitive to radiotherapy or chemotherapy and requires surgical removal; the authors note that because tumour cells can infiltrate local tissues, the resection margin may be extended beyond the visible lesion. All three cases in that series — vulvar, rectus sheath, and left cubital nerve — were benign, and no recurrence was seen during follow-up after surgery.
A 1997 case report and review emphasises that tumour can develop years after treatment of the primary lesion, and that patients need close follow-up. It recommends radiographic evaluation for metastatic disease if a malignant variant is suspected. A 2001 report of a penile granular cell tumour treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) notes that only one previous article had documented MMS for this tumour; the authors conclude MMS may be beneficial when lesion location or size make tissue conservation or assuredness of cure important.
No drug therapy is mentioned in any of these abstracts. The 2018 paper explicitly states the tumour is not sensitive to radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and the only treatment described across all reports is surgical excision, with or without MMS. No systemic therapy, repurposed or otherwise, is discussed.
What is missing is any clinical trial of drug treatment for granular cell tumour, whether benign or malignant. There is no evidence on targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or any pharmacological intervention. The rarity of the disease makes randomised trials difficult to fund and recruit for, and no patient stratification strategy — by molecular subtype, malignant potential, or recurrence risk — has been tested in a prospective study.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Head & Neck · 1997 · 72 citations
Multiple granular cell tumor: A case report and review of the literature
AbstractBACKGROUND: Granular cell tumor was first described by Abrikossoff in 1926. It is rare and usually presents as a benign solitary lesion. Multifocal and malignant forms are known to occur. METHODS: This presentation illustrates an additional case of granular cell tumor. Clinical and histological features to distinguish malignant and benign forms are presented. RESULTS: Tumor can develop years after therapy for the primary lesion. Treatment recommendations are presented. CONCLUSIONS: Patients diagnosed with granular cell tumor require close follow-up. Radiographic evaluation for the presence of metastatic disease is necessary if a malignant variant is suspected.
Granular Cell Tumor Treated with Mohs Micrographic Surgery: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature
AbstractBACKGROUND: Granular cell tumors are uncommon soft tissue neoplasms of neural origin that most often arise in the oral cavity. Penile lesions are distinctly uncommon. Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a highly effective treatment for several cutaneous neoplasms when tissue conservation is crucial. OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of MMS for this soft tissue malignancy. METHODS: We report only the eighth granular cell tumor of the penis. The literature was reviewed regarding the use of MMS for these neoplasms. RESULTS: MMS was performed to minimize the destruction of normal tissue in treating this patient's granular cell tumor. Only one previous article documented the use of MMS for this soft tissue tumor. CONCLUSION: Although utilized infrequently to treat granular cell tumors, MMS may prove beneficial when lesion location or size render tissue conservation or assuredness of cure paramount.
Cancer Biomarkers · 2018 · 29 citations · open access
Granular cell tumor: A report of three cases and review of literature
AbstractOBJECTIVE: In order to improve the understanding of granular cell tumor and avoid missing the best time of treatment, we report three patients with rare granular cell tumors admitted to our hospital in the past 10 years. METHODS: The characteristics, methods of treatment, postoperative pathological results and follow-up results of three cases of granular cell tumor were analyzed; and literatures related to granular cell tumors were reviewed. RESULTS: All patients underwent surgical treatment, and the excised lesions were sent to the laboratory for testing. Postoperative pathological results were as follows: granular cell tumor of the vulva, granular cell tumor within the sheath of the rectus muscle, and granular cell tumor in the left cubit nerve. All three cases were benign, and no recurrence was found during follow-ups after the operation. CONCLUSION: Granular cell tumors are rare tumors derived from the nerve sheath, are mostly benign tumors, and the incidence of malignancy is 2%. The gold standard for diagnosis of granular cell tumor is histopathology. Granular cell tumor is not sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and needs to be surgically removed. Since this disease may have no solid lesions and tumor cells can infiltrate local tissues, based on the full excision of the lesion, the extent of resection may be extended to areas without infiltration. This disease has a possibility of recurrence, and patients need to be followed-up.
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.
