DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for intraductal breast neoplasm — 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.
Disease moduleIntraductal breast neoplasm 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 intraductal breast neoplasm 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
fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) — FGFR2 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 acpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6V6Q · 2.46 Å · ligand PHOSPHOMETHYLPHOSPHONIC ACID ADENYLATE ESTER (ACP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In 110 patients with bloody nipple discharge who underwent duct-lobular segmentectomy, 17 had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and 6 had invasive carcinoma. Among 16 mastectomy specimens examined, residual DCIS was found in 6 and atypical ductal hyperplasia in 4. Intraductal spreading of carcinoma was present in 8 of those 16 segmentectomy specimens; 6 of those 8 had residual DCIS, and the other 2 had atypical hyperplasia. No residual DCIS was found in the 8 patients without intraductal spreading. Among 12 patients under observation who did not have a mastectomy, invasive carcinoma later developed in 3; 2 of those 3 had intraductal spreading in the segmentectomy specimen, while only 1 of 10 patients without intraductal spreading developed carcinoma. The authors concluded that intraductal spreading is an unfavourable pathologic factor for breast-conserving surgery.
A previously undescribed form of intraductal carcinoma, designated intraductal signet ring carcinoma, was identified in eight breast specimens submitted for consultation. The lesion is characterised by intraductal neoplastic cells with eccentric nuclei and ground-glass or optically clear, mucin-containing cytoplasm. It was found in ducts within otherwise benign fibrocystic disease and radial scars, as well as in breasts with other forms of intraductal or invasive carcinoma. In a prospective examination of 400 consecutive invasive carcinomas, this intraductal lesion was found in 12 cases (3%). Only 3 of those 12 were associated with pure or combination forms of lobular invasive carcinoma.
In 25 patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (intra-arterial infusion or intravenous injection), the proportion of intraductal component predicted response. Cases with a high proportion of intraductal component had lower response to chemotherapy; a larger number of cancer cells remained within the mammary ducts, and those residual cells conserved proliferative activity. The intraductal component was poorly responsive to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.
In a study of 69 intraductal carcinomas of the breast, histological patterns of intraductal carcinoma were observed in lymph node metastases in 16 cases. The author argued that so-called intraductal carcinoma, generally considered an in situ carcinoma, is therefore an infiltrating tumour, and its histological picture in metastases reflects a particular morphogenetic differentiative activity of the tumour cells. What remains missing is prospective data linking intraductal histology to long-term outcomes after modern breast-conserving therapy, and trials that stratify patients by intraductal component when testing neo-adjuvant regimens. No drug was studied 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.
Cancer · 1994 · 48 citations · open access
Management of ductal carcinoma in situ with nipple discharge. Intraductal spreading of carcinoma is an unfavorable pathologic factor for breast-conserving surgery
AbstractBACKGROUND: Surgical management of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has been a controversial issue in the selection of breast-conserving surgery as a method of treatment. The definition of intraductal spreading of carcinoma becomes an important factor in the decision making process, but little is known about how much intraductal extension influences the spreading of tumor in the whole breast. To define any unfavorable pathologic factors existing in limited surgery for patients with DCIS, the authors investigated histopathologic characteristics using a sequential slicing of tissues. METHODS: Duct-lobular segmentectomy, a limited surgery, was performed on 110 patients with a bloody nipple discharge. Six patients with invasive carcinoma and 17 patients with DCIS subsequently received a total mastectomy. The specimens obtained by segmentectomy and mastectomy were histopathologically examined. Using subserial sections, the authors examined the relationship between intraductal spreading of carcinoma in the segmentectomy specimens and carcinoma residue in the mastectomy specimens. RESULTS: Among 16 mastectomy specimens, the authors found residual DCIS in 6, and atypical ductal hyperplasia in 4. Intraductal spreading of carcinoma was detected in 8 of 16 segmentectomy specimens. Six of eight patients with intraductal spreading had residual DCIS. The other two patients had atypical hyperplasia in breasts. No residual DCIS was detected in the other eight patients without intraductal spreading. Among 12 patients under observation who did not have a mastectomy, invasive carcinoma subsequently developed in 3. Two of three patients had intraductal spreading in segmentectomy specimens. Only 1 of 10 patients without intraductal spreading, however, developed carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal spreading of carcinoma is an unfavorable pathologic factor in breast-conserving surgery for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ with nipple discharge.
Intraductal signet ring carcinoma. A hitherto undescribed form of intraductal carcinoma of the breast
AbstractAttention is directed to a unique but apparently heretofore undescribed and overlooked form of intraductal carcinoma of female breast characterized by varying numbers of intraductal neoplastic cells with eccentric nuclei and either ground-glass or optically clear, mucin-containing cytoplasm. Eight examples have been observed in breast tissue submitted consultatively for the distinction of hyperplasia and intraductal carcinoma. This lesion, designated as intraductal signet ring carcinoma, may be found in some of the ducts of otherwise benign fibrocystic disease and radial scars, as well as breasts with other forms of intraductal carcinoma or invasive carcinoma. Four hundred consecutive examples of the latter examined prospectively revealed this intraductal lesion in 12 or 3%. Only 3 of the 12 examples were associated with either pure or combination forms of lobular invasive carcinoma.
The intraductal component of breast cancer is poorly responsive to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy
AbstractNeo-adjuvant chemotherapy has been used for locally advanced breast cancers. With special attention to the proportion of intraductal component, we pathologically studied 25 patients that underwent neo-adjuvant chemotherapy via intra-arterial infusion or intravenous injection. In general, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy had a favorable effect on tumor reduction. The effectiveness varies depending on the predominance of intraductal component. The cases with a high proportion of intraductal component had lower response to the chemotherapies. The larger number of cancer cells remained within the mammary ducts. The residual cancer cells conserved proliferative activity. Intraductal component is poorly responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
American Journal of Case Reports · 2013 · 14 citations · open access
Rhabdomyosarcoma of the breast – a rare malignancy
AbstractPATIENT: Female, 60 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Rhabdomyosarcoma of the breast Symptoms: Lump in axilla Medication: - Clinical Procedure: Mastectomy Specialty: Oncology. OBJECTIVE: Rare disease. BACKGROUND: Primary nonepithelial malignancies of the breast include primary breast sarcomas, therapy-related breast sarcomas, the phyllodes tumors, and primary breast lymphomas. They account for less than 5% of all breast neoplasms. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 60-year-old postmenopausal female diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma with infiltrating duct carcinoma. She was treated with modified radical mastectomy with axillary clearance and postoperative chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the breast in adults is extremely rare. Rhabdomyosarcomas in adults account for less than 3% of all adult primary soft-tissue sarcomas. Primary breast sarcomas usually present as large painless breast lumps with no associated skin and nipple changes or axillary lymphadenopathy; they are more aggressive and have more rapid growth than epithelial malignancies or benign breast lesions. The tumor can grow to large size, around 5.8 cm. Affected patients are typically women in their 50 s (ranging from 17 to 89 years), but it is also seen in men. The treatment of primary breast sarcomas requires a multidisciplinary approach. Surgery remains the mainstay of therapy. Chemotherapy has no clearly defined role in primary breast or soft-tissue sarcomas. The prognosis of primary breast sarcomas depends on the histologic grade and size of the tumor. They spread locally and hematogenously, but they are not usually associated with axillary lymphadenopathy.
The Intraductal Carcinoma of the Breast is Never a Carcinoma «In Situ».
AbstractHistological patterns of « intraductal carcinoma » were observed in lymph node metastases, in 16 of 69 intraductal carcinomas of the breast. The so-called intraductal cancer, generally considered a « in situ » carcinoma of the breast, is therefore an infiltrating tumor; its histological picture, present sometime also in the metastases, is related to a particular morphogenetic differentiative activity of the tumor cells.
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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