DeCure's autonomous Cardio AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for hypertensive heart disease — screening already-approved drugs against its 34-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleHypertensive heart disease maps to a 34-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
Structures already discussed alongside hypertensive heart disease in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
SOS Ras/Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 2 (SOS2) — SOS2 is one of the genes in this disease's Open Targets module — part of the target space DeCure's repurposing candidates point at. The protein backbone is drawn as a cartoon. The structure has 4-[(1r,2s)-1-hydroxy-2-{[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]amino}propyl]phenol bound in it, shown as sticks.
Loading structure…
helix sheet 1r,2sdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8T5M · 1.79 Å · ligand 4-[(1R,2S)-1-hydroxy-2-{[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]amino}propyl]phenol (YIF). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2017 analysis of 40,496 patients from a Korean national cohort, excluding those with heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, malignancy, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, found that treatment of uncomplicated hypertension significantly reduced mortality. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were lower in both the treated-from-baseline group (28,443 patients) and the treated-during-follow-up group (5,297 patients) compared to the never-treated group (6,756 patients), with log-rank P < 0.001. On multivariable Cox analyses, treatment from baseline gave a hazard ratio of 0.49 for all-cause mortality and 0.62 for cardiovascular mortality; treatment started during follow-up gave a hazard ratio of 0.41 for all-cause mortality and 0.44 for cardiovascular mortality. Among drug classes, renin-angiotensin system blockers and calcium channel blockers were closely associated with lower all-cause mortality, but only calcium channel blockers were associated with lower cardiovascular mortality.
A 1998 review stated that results from clinical trials had established the benefit of antihypertensive therapy in preventing morbidity and mortality associated with high blood pressure, including stroke, coronary heart disease, and heart failure, and that treatment is effective in the elderly. A 2012 paper reported that treatments with nifedipine retard or ACE inhibitors caused a comparable change in remodelling and cardiac function, and that lowering blood pressure by either drug led to reverse remodelling or improvement of cardiac function, with a favourable effect on left ventricular structure and function.
A 2024 review noted that hypertensive heart disease encompasses functional and structural dysfunctions in the left ventricle, left atrium, and coronary arteries resulting from chronic uncontrolled hypertension, and that the mechanisms contributing to its development and complications remain inadequately defined. The review highlighted roles for dietary salt, immune responses, and genetic predisposition in pathogenesis. A 2020 review of new cardiovascular drugs stated that existing drugs are not completely successful for effective management, and that new chemical entities with different mechanisms of action had been successful in preliminary studies for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, but provided no specific survival or response rate data from those studies.
What is still missing are large, long-term, randomised trials that directly compare specific drug classes for their effect on cardiac structure and function in hypertensive heart disease, rather than relying on blood pressure reduction as a surrogate. The 2024 review explicitly states that the mechanisms of progression and complications are inadequately defined, which limits rational drug targeting. Funding for such mechanistic studies and for trials that stratify patients by genetic predisposition, immune profile, or salt sensitivity is lacking.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety · 2020 · 16 citations
New and emerging cardiovascular and antihypertensive drugs
AbstractIntroduction Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are very common conditions and account for significant medical disability and death worldwide. Therefore, their successful management is very critical for the prevention of the significant cardiovascular and socioeconomic consequences arising from their poor management.Areas Covered: Although we have several effective cardiovascular (CV) drugs for their treatment, they are not all completely successful for the effective management of CVD and hypertension. Thus, the need for the discovery and development of new drugs is necessary. For this review, a Medline search of the English language was conducted between 2010 and June 2020 and 62 pertinent papers were retrieved. These papers contain information on newly released and emerging new cardiovascular drugs.Expert opinion These new chemical entities have different mechanisms of action and in preliminary studies have been successful in the treatment of hypertension, CVD, heart failure, stroke, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. These drugs can be used either alone or in combination with other antihypertensive and cardiovascular drugs. Hopefully, these new classes of cardiovascular drugs would be effective for the treatment of hypertension and CVD and decrease their socioeconomic consequences.
Pulmonary Circulation · 2020 · 14 citations · open access
Macitentan in infants and children with pulmonary hypertensive vascular disease. Feasibility, tolerability and practical issues – a single‐centre experience
AbstractMacitentan is a safe and effective substance for treatment of adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Data on its use in paediatric patients are limited. In this single-centre prospective study, we report on our experience with macitentan in children focusing on applicability and practical aspects. Between December 2014 and July 2018, macitentan was introduced to paediatric patients according to a dosing protocol adjusted to body weight. Blood pressure, heart rate, saturation and clinical symptoms were recorded daily during introduction. Liver function parameters and haemoglobin levels were measured at baseline, four weeks and three months after initiation and after one year of treatment. Twenty-four patients (14 male, 10 female) were enrolled for treatment with macitentan. The mean age was 10.7 ± 7.6 years (range: 0.1 year-23 years). Fifteen out of 24 patients were World Health Organization functional class (FC) II, 7 patients in FC III and 2 patients in FC IV. Twenty out of 24 patients (83%) received additional advanced therapy with sildenafil and/or prostacyclines. We had two early discontinuations because of clinical relevant oedema. In the remaining 22 patients, macitentan was well tolerated. Liver function parameters and blood count levels remained stable during the observational time. The introduction of macitentan was feasible and mostly well tolerated in paediatric patients. Special attention should be paid to oedema during introduction of the drug. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report on its applicability in infants and children. However, larger prospective trials are warranted to verify these preliminary findings.
American Journal of Hypertension · 1998 · 4 citations · open access
Antihypertensive Therapy and Cardiovascular DiseaseImpact of Effective Therapy on Disease Progression
AbstractHypertension is the most ubiquitous risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Results from clinical trials have established the benefit of antihypertensive therapy in preventing the morbidity and mortality associated with high blood pressure, including stroke, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. Treatment is effective in the elderly, a significant consideration because the percentage of the elderly population is growing rapidly. This article reviews the impact of antihypertensive treatment on cardiovascular disease and treatment endpoints.
Journal of Hypertension · 2017 · 2 citations · open access
Treatment of uncomplicated hypertension is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular mortality
AbstractBACKGROUND: Although the benefit of hypertension treatment is well established in high-risk patients, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the benefit of treatment in patients with uncomplicated hypertension. METHODS: Hypertensive adult patients were selected from the Korea National Health Insurance Sample Cohort in 2002 and were followed until 2013. Patients with a diagnosis of heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, malignancy, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease were excluded. Ultimately, 40 496 patients were divided into three groups: never-treated (N = 6756), treated-from-baseline (N = 28 443), and treated-during-follow-up (N = 5297). Five first-line antihypertensive agents were categorized into four classes: renin-angiotensin system blocker (RASB), beta-blocker, calcium channel blocker (CCB), and diuretics. All-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and hazard ratio were determined. RESULTS: All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were significantly lower in both treatment groups than in the never-treated group (all log-rank P < 0.001). Treatment from baseline (hazard ratio = 0.49 for all-cause mortality and hazard ratio = 0.62 for cardiovascular mortality) and treatment started during follow-up (hazard ratio = 0.41 for all-cause mortality and hazard ratio = 0.44 for cardiovascular mortality) were independently associated with lower mortality on multivariable Cox analyses. Although RASB, beta-blocker, and CCB significantly reduced all-cause mortality, multivariable Cox analyses showed that RASB and CCB were closely associated with lower all-cause mortality. In terms of cardiovascular mortality, only CCB was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality on multivariable Cox analyses. CONCLUSION: Treatment of hypertension significantly reduces mortality in patients with uncomplicated hypertension.
Basis and clinical significance of regression of hypertensive hypertrophy
AbstractThe basis of every therapy in hypertensive heart disease is blood pressure normalization. However, blood pressure should be lowered through antihypertensive drugs, which can regress LV hypertrophy, increase myocardial perfusion and improve LV function depending on the stage of hypertensive heart disease. Such a step-care of hypertensive heart disease must not be understood as a therapeutic scheme, but should be considered as an attempt to cover the clinical therapy of common hypertensive cardiac complications.
Effect of Lion Calls on African Elephants ( Loxodonta Africana ) in Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa
AbstractThe above findings show that treatments with nifedipine retard or ACE-Is cause a comparable change in remodeling and cardiac function. Lowering of the blood pressure by either drug leads to reverse remodeling or improvement of cardiac function. In addition to alleviation of coronary artery damage by reducing blood pressure, there is a favorable effect on the left ventricular structure and function. Reducing the blood pressure is critically important for hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2024 · 0 citations · open access
HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE: RISK FACTORS, COMPLICATIONS, AND UNDERLYING MECHANISMS
AbstractHypertensive heart disease encompasses both functional and structural dysfunctions in the left ventricle, left atrium, and coronary arteries, resulting from chronic uncontrolled hypertension. Despite its prevalence, hypertensive heart disease is often underreported, and the mechanisms contributing to its development and associated complications remain inadequately defined. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of hypertensive heart disease, focusing on the mechanisms involved in its progression and complications, particularly left ventricular hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and coronary artery disease. Additionally, we highlight the roles of dietary salt, immune responses, and genetic predisposition in the pathogenesis of hypertensive heart disease.
TiN films by Atomic Layer Deposition: Growth and electrical characterization down to sub-nm thickness
AbstractThe heart is of great importance in systemic hypertension; it has a role in its pathogenesis but also suffers its consequences. Heart disease is, therefore, often found in hypertensive patients. Patients with hypertension may develop left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiac failure and atherosclerotic vascular problems, such as coronary artery disease, as well as strokes and peripheral vascular disease. There have been a great many advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of hypertensive heart disease as well as its epidemiology over the last decade and these are reviewed briefly here.
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.
