DeCure for Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans
DeCure's autonomous Dermatology AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleKeratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans maps to a 2-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 keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans 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.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2009 case report described a trial of etretinate in a patient with keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans; the treatment proved ineffective. No other drug interventions are reported in the available abstracts. The remaining abstracts are case reports or small family series describing the clinical presentation of the disease in individual patients, including a nine-year-old girl, a mother and daughter, a 15-month-old Cypriot girl, and a pair of siblings. None of these reports test any treatment.
The disease is consistently described as a rare, X-linked genodermatosis that begins in infancy or early childhood with follicular hyperkeratosis and progresses to scarring alopecia. Males are predominantly affected, but female cases occur, sometimes with extensive alopecia and no eye changes. One report notes that pustules and bacterial infection can develop after puberty. No abstract provides data on response rates, survival, or any quantitative outcome from a therapeutic trial beyond the single failed retinoid attempt.
What is missing is any controlled trial, any large cohort, any validated outcome measure, and any funding for systematic drug testing. Patient stratification by genetic subtype or severity does not exist in the published literature. No drug can be recommended from these data.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Dermatology · 2009 · 24 citations
Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans: Report of a Case with Ultrastructural Study and Unsuccessful Trial of Retinoids
AbstractKeratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD) is a genetic disorder characterized by disseminated follicular hyperkeratosis, especially localizated to scalp and face. We report the case of a new patient displaying typical features of KFSD. Ultrastructural study was performed and displayed round keratohyalin granules in follicular keratinocytes. Trial with etretinate, which has not been reported before in this disease, proved to be ineffective.
Indian Journal of Dermatology Venereology and Leprology · 2011 · 19 citations · open access
Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans in a female
AbstractKeratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD), is a rare follicular syndrome associated with widespread keratosis pilaris and progressive scarring alopecia. This genodermatoses often starts at infancy or early childhood with an X-linked mode of inheritance. Males are predominantly affected and females frequently show no disease or only a mild form. We describe this not so common entity of KFSD in a nine year old female child.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology · 2002 · 17 citations
Keratosis pilaris atrophicans in mother and daughter
AbstractWe report two cases of keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans in a Caucasian family involving a 28-year-old woman and her mother. This is an unusual family in that no male relatives are similarly affected. Secondly, both patients have no significant eye changes but quite extensive scarring alopecia. To the best of our knowledge this is the second reported family in the UK.
Indian Journal of Paediatric Dermatology · 2016 · 0 citations · open access
Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans in a 15 months Cypriot girl
AbstractKeratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD) is a rare disease with unknown etiology. It clinically presents with diffuse follicular hyperkeratosis of scalp which progress to atrophy, cicatricial alopecia, and photophobia. The lesions start in chilhood and an aggrevasion occurs after puberty by the development of scalp pustules with bacterial infection and causes both functional and cosmetic discomfort. Here, we report a Cypriot girl that diagnosed KFSD that do not have any family history.
SSR Institute of International Journal of Life Sciences · 2016 · 0 citations · open access
Keratosis pilaris spinulosa decalvans in Siblings: A Rare Cause of Scarring Alopecia
AbstractKeratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD) i s a hereditary disorder of the hair follicle which presents with scarring alopecia and follicular papu les affecting the scalp and other areas of the body . Being X-linked it is more common in males but rarely, can be seen in females. We report this rare disorder in siblings affe cting both male and female child. Key-words- Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans, Sibling s, scarring alopecia, Child, Keratotic papules
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.
