Rare & Orphan Lab · DeCure for X

DeCure for Intellectual disability, autosomal recessive 61

DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for intellectual disability, autosomal recessive 61 — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.

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The disease map

Disease moduleIntellectual disability, autosomal recessive 61 maps to a 1-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 intellectual disability, autosomal recessive 61 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

RUN and SH3 domain containing 2 (RUSC2)RUSC2 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 gtpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom

RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6IF2 · 2.4 Å · ligand GUANOSINE-5'-TRIPHOSPHATE (GTP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.

What the evidence adds up to

A missense mutation in MED23 (p.R617Q) was found to cosegregate with nonsyndromic autosomal recessive intellectual disability in one family. The mutation impaired the response of JUN and FOS immediate early genes to serum mitogens by altering the interaction between enhancer-bound transcription factors and Mediator. Transcriptional dysregulation of these genes was also seen in cells from patients with other neurological disorders linked to mutations in other Mediator subunits or interacting proteins. No drug is mentioned in that 2011 study.

A 2025 study identified a homozygous c.1693T>C variant in SLC6A17 in a Pakistani family with autosomal recessive intellectual disability (MRT48), characterised by progressive tremors, speech impairment, and behavioural problems. The variant segregated with the phenotype in the extended family. A 2021 review notes that autosomal recessive ID accounts for most molecular bases in inbred populations, but that de novo variants are also important contributors. A separate 2021 case report describes a de novo heterozygous nonsense variant in TRIP12 causing autosomal dominant intellectual disability, not recessive.

A 2011 review on Fragile X syndrome states that intellectual disability was long considered immutable and that current medical practices aim only at symptom relief, not altering underlying cognitive deficits. That review mentions the possibility of treatability but does not report any drug trial results for autosomal recessive intellectual disability. A 2022 review on homeopathic management of intellectual disability claims homeopathy will remove the disease from the root cause but provides no patient data, no response rates, and no survival figures.

What is still missing: no drug has been tested in any clinical trial for autosomal recessive intellectual disability caused by MED23, SLC6A17, or TRIP12 mutations. There is no funded trial, no proposed small molecule, and no patient stratification strategy for any of these genotypes. The molecular pathways identified (immediate early gene dysregulation, Mediator complex function) remain without a pharmacological intervention.

Evidence

Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.

Science · 2011 · 118 citations

<i>MED23</i> Mutation Links Intellectual Disability to Dysregulation of Immediate Early Gene Expression

AbstractMED23 is a subunit of the Mediator complex, a key regulator of protein-coding gene expression. Here, we report a missense mutation (p. R617Q) in MED23 that cosegregates with nonsyndromic autosomal recessive intellectual disability. This mutation specifically impaired the response of JUN and FOS immediate early genes (IEGs) to serum mitogens by altering the interaction between enhancer-bound transcription factors (TCF4 and ELK1, respectively) and Mediator. Transcriptional dysregulation of these genes was also observed in cells derived from patients presenting with other neurological disorders linked to mutations in other Mediator subunits or proteins interacting with MED. These findings highlight the crucial role of Mediator in brain development and functioning and suggest that altered IEG expression might be a common molecular hallmark of cognitive deficit.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1206638
Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability · 2008 · 80 citations

Ring chromosome 7 in an Indian woman

AbstractBACKGROUND: Ring chromosome 7 [r(7)] is a rare cytogenetic aberration, with only 16 cases (including 3 females) reported in the literature to date. This is the first reported case of r(7) from India. METHOD: Clinical and cytogenetic investigations were carried out in an adult female with microcephaly and intellectual disability. RESULTS: Ring chromosome 7 was observed in 10% of the metaphases (46,XX,r(7)/46,XX). The clinical findings revealed microcephaly, growth delay, and dark pigmented naevi. CONCLUSION: The mosaicism for a chromosomal anomaly is an under-recognised cause of intellectual disability.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13668250701829829
ACS Chemical Neuroscience · 2011 · 19 citations · open access

Fragile X Syndrome: An Update on Developing Treatment Modalities

AbstractIntellectual disability (ID; mental retardation) is considered an immutable condition. Current medical practices are aimed at relieving symptoms and not at altering the underlying cognitive deficits. Scientific advancements from the past decade have led to the exciting possibility that ID may now be treatable. Moreover, pharmaceutical therapies targeting the most common form of inherited ID, Fragile X syndrome (FXS), may become the new benchmark for central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery: seeking cures for neurodevelopmental disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1021/cn200019z
Indian Journal of Anaesthesia · 2015 · 6 citations · open access

Anaesthetic management of a child with panthothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration

AbstractPanthothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) (Hallervorden-Spatz disease) is a rare autosomal recessive chromosomal disorder characterised by progressive neuroaxonal dystrophy. The characteristic features include involuntary movements, rigidity, mental retardation, seizures, emaciation. The anaesthetic concerns include difficult airway, aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, and post-operative respiratory, and renal insufficiency. We report successful anaesthetic management of a 9-year-old intellectually disabled male child with PKAN, scheduled for ophthalmic surgery under general anaesthesia.

https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.149449
PubMed · 2021 · 0 citations

[Intellectual disability due to heterozygous c.40C>T variant of TRIP12 gene in a patient].

AbstractOBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a patient with intellectual disability. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were carried out for the patient. The result was verified in her family. RESULTS: DNA sequencing revealed that the patient has carried a heterozygous nonsense c.40C>T (p.Arg14X) variant of the TRIP12 gene, which was de novo in origin. The variant was unrecorded in the Human Gene Mutation Database. Based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics standards and guidelines, the variant was predicted to be pathogenic (PVS1+ PS2+ PP3). CONCLUSION: The patient was diagnosed with autosomal dominant intellectual disability due to heterozygous c.40C>T variant of the TRIP12 gene.

https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.cn511374-20200211-00075
International Journal of Homoeopathic Sciences · 2022 · 0 citations · open access

An overall review on intellectual disability disorder and its homoeopathic management

AbstractThe Intellectual Disability Disorder is found as a one of the clinical manifestations of the rare disorders which occupies a total prevalence of about 6 to 8% globally. The rare disorder is found to cause many of the chronic disabilities in which the intellectual disability disorder is one of them which has a drastic impact on the individual who is affected and their families and includes the health care system. The onset period of the rare disorder begins from the prenatal period into the late adulthood and it is being assessed that about the half of the individual affected are children [1]. The prime and the only purpose of this study undertaken is to find the effectiveness of the homoeopathic medicine in the treatment of the Intellectual Disability Disorder and also to alter their intellectual and the adaptive functions of the affected individual. The homoeopathic medicine will remove the disease from the root cause.

https://doi.org/10.33545/26164485.2022.v6.i3d.618
Clinical Genetics · 2025 · 0 citations

Biallelic Variant in <scp> <i>SLC6A17</i> </scp> in a Pakistani Family With Autosomal Recessive Intellectual Disability

AbstractAutosomal recessive intellectual disability affects 1%-3% of the general population and is a major concern in countries where consanguineous marriages are common. Mental retardation autosomal recessive 48 (MRT 48) (OMIM 616269) is a recessive syndromic disorder characterized by progressive tremors, speech impairment, and behavioral problems. In the present study, we highlight a family with a case of MRT 48. The index patient was second born to healthy consanguineous parents with a history of intellectual disability. Whole exome sequencing of the patient was performed, which revealed a homozygous c.1693T>C;p.(Tyr565His) variant in the SLC6A17 gene. The variant segregated in the extended family with the phenotype. This study broadens the genotypic spectrum of SLC6A17 variants.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cge.70055
Majmaah Journal of Health Sciences · 2021 · 0 citations · open access

Review On Clinical And Molecular Genetics Of Autosomal Recessive Intellectual Disability

AbstractIntellectual disability (ID) is a relatively common phenotype with multiple etiologies. Recent progress in the genetics of ID greatly expanded our understanding of the biological defects underlying this clinical entity. While most published cohort genetic studies on ID revealed the important contribution of de novo (germline or postzygotic) variants, we focused in this study of autosomal recessive ID (ARID), that account for most of the molecular bases in ID cases in inbred populations. We discussed the current state of ARID from a clinical, molecular and genetics standpoints.

https://doi.org/10.5455/mjhs.2021.03.010

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.