DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for lice infestation — 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 moduleLice infestation 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 lice infestation 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
EGF like and discoidin domains 3 (EDIL3) — EDIL3 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 ngadrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4D90 · 2.601 Å · ligand 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-galactopyranose (NGA). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2015 review article lists over-the-counter permethrin and pyrethrin, and prescription medicines including malathion, lindane, benzyl alcohol, and spinosad as treatment modalities for head lice infestation. The same article notes the problem of resistance to treatment. A 2018 survey of lice in North-eastern Algeria examined 57 cattle, 83 sheep, 77 goats, 111 wild boars, and 63 farmyard chickens, collecting lice manually or by brushing during winter. The only species found on wild boars in both regions was identified, and the authors state these results should be taken into account for lice control schemes and louse-borne diseases.
A 2024 randomised trial compared topical dimethicone and permethrin in eighty primary schoolgirls with head lice in Iran. At the end of two weeks, the efficacy of dimethicone was 82.6% and that of permethrin was 54.7%, meaning dimethicone was 27.9% more effective. The Chi-square test at the end of the first week did not reveal significant differences between the groups (P = 0.065). At the end of the second week (P = 0.025) and overall at two weeks (P = 0.006), dimethicone was more effective than permethrin. The authors conclude that dimethicone is useful in the treatment of head lice compared to permethrin.
The 2015 review acknowledges resistance to existing treatments, and the 2024 trial shows dimethicone outperforms permethrin in a small sample of eighty girls over two weeks. No data exist on long-term cure rates, safety in younger children or adults, or efficacy against resistant lice populations outside this single Iranian study. What is still missing is larger, multi-site trials that stratify patients by resistance profile and age, and independent funding to compare dimethicone against other prescription options such as spinosad or malathion.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Indian Journal of Dermatology · 2015 · 46 citations · open access
Treatment of Pediculosis Capitis
AbstractAn endeavour to delineate the salient details of the treatment of head lice infestation has been made in the present article. Treatment modalities including over the counter permethrin and pyrethrin, and prescription medicines, including malathion, lindane, benzyl alcohol, spinosad are discussed. Salient features of alternative medicine and physical treatment modalities are outlined. The problem of resistance to treatment has also been taken cognizance of.
Veterinary World · 2018 · 19 citations · open access
Inventory of lice of mammals and farmyard chicken in North-eastern Algeria
AbstractBACKGROUND AND AIM: Lice are permanent ectoparasites, extremely specific to their hosts. Their great importance in veterinary medicine remain significant, they can cause their direct pathogenic actions like irritability, dermatitis, anemia, decreased weight gain, and milk production. The purpose of this work was to made the first time an inventory of mammalian lice in North-eastern Algeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our survey of lice infestation was conducted on several animal species from five provinces of North-eastern Algeria. A total of 57 cattle, 83 sheep, 77 goats, 111 wild boars, and 63 farmyard chickens were examined. The collection of lice was carried out much more in mammals and chickens during the winter period. Lice were collected either manually or using brushing and kept in flasks containing 70% ethanol. The identification of lice was achieved in the laboratory using a binocular loupe. RESULTS: was the only species found on wild boars in both regions. CONCLUSION: These results are to be taken into account for lice control schemes and louse-borne diseases.
Chulalongkorn Medical Journal · 2024 · 2 citations · open access
Comparative efficacy of topical dimethicone and permethrin for the treatment of head lice infestation in students
AbstractBackground: Despite improved living conditions, individual health and health indicators in human societies, head lice infestation continues to be a major health problem. Therefore, studying the efficacy of drugs and identifying treatment - resistant cases in the prevention and elimination of this disease is of particular importance. Objective: The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of dimethicone and permethrin in infected pupils in elementary schools for girls. Methods: This study was conducted on primary schoolgirls infected with head lice in Doroud County, Lorestan - Iran. The eighty infected girls were detected and randomized into two groups receiving any of the treatments listed. By the end of week two, the efficacy of the drugs was determined. Results: The efficacy of dimethicone and permethrin after treatment were 82.6 and 54.7%, respectively, to remove head lice at the end of two weeks. In other words, the effectiveness of dimethicone was 27.9% higher than permethrin. The Chi - square test at the end of the first week did not reveal significant differences between the treatment groups (P = 0.065). The outcomes of dimethicone treatment at the end of the second week (P = 0.025) and generally at the end of two weeks (P = 0.006) were more effective than permethrin. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm that dimethicone is useful in the treatment of head lice compared to permethrin.
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.
