DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for liposarcoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 44-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleLiposarcoma maps to a 44-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
approvedSunitinibApproved drug
Structures already discussed alongside liposarcoma in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
KIT kinase domain — Sunitinib has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 3G0E, 1.6 Å). This is the drug's own deposited structure, not a prediction, and confirms it is a structurally characterised molecule rather than an untested guess.
Loading structure…
helix sheet b49drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 3G0E · 1.6 Å · ligand Sunitinib (B49). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Liposarcoma is a rare disease classified into five histologic subtypes. Well differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma are both characterised by chromosome 12q13-15 amplification. Outcome depends on completeness of surgical resection, tumour location and histologic subtype. Risk of recurrence is high for patients with dedifferentiated histology or retroperitoneal location. Radiation and chemotherapy have low response rates in these subtypes. A 2025 observational cohort study in England included 1,315 patients; 46% had a treatment recorded. Surgery was the most frequent treatment (34% of all patients), followed by radiotherapy (8%) and chemotherapy (2.4%). Overall five-year survival probability was 77%.
A 2006 study of 38 adult patients with intermediate or high-grade limb liposarcoma treated by limb-sparing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy reported ten-year local recurrence-free survival of 83%, metastasis-free survival 61%, disease-free survival 51% and overall survival 67%. Analysis showed no association with age, gender, tumour location, liposarcoma type or resection quality. The authors noted that liposarcoma may recur even ten years after definitive therapy and may spread to unexpected sites. A 2019 case report of a huge primary dedifferentiated pancreatic liposarcoma in a young female treated with surgery alone reported no relapse at 26-month follow-up, but the authors stated that complete resection is the only effective treatment and that chemotherapy should be included in treatment regimens.
Novel agents targeted at chromosome 12 gene products MDM2 and CDK4 have shown promise in preclinical studies and are being tested in clinical trials, according to a 2011 review. A 2024 review noted that the most promising targeted therapy results have been shown for CDK4/6 and MDM2 inhibitors as well as for the multi-kinase inhibitors anlotinib and sunitinib. The same review stated that heterogeneity in liposarcoma genetics and phenotype, along with development of resistance to therapy, make introduction of novel therapeutic targets into the clinic difficult. A 2022 case report of preoperative radiotherapy followed by surgery in a patient with giant primary retroperitoneal G1 liposarcoma noted that local recurrence remains the major challenge despite contemporary surgical management.
What is still missing are adequately powered randomised trials that test targeted agents in molecularly stratified patient subgroups, standardised data collection across real-world registries to track long-term outcomes, and funding to move CDK4/6 and MDM2 inhibitors from promising preclinical and early clinical results into definitive phase III studies that can change practice.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Current Opinion in Oncology · 2011 · 250 citations · open access
Clinical and molecular approaches to well differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma
AbstractPURPOSE OF REVIEW: Liposarcoma, a rare disease, is classified into five histologic subtypes. These include well differentiated liposarcoma (WDLS) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLS), both characterized by chromosome 12q13-15 amplification. This review will focus on the clinical management of WDLS and DDLS and examine recent molecular studies that have the potential to affect clinical management. RECENT FINDINGS: Outcome of patients with WDLS and DDLS depends on completeness of surgical resection as well as tumor location and histologic subtype. Risk of recurrence is high for patients with dedifferentiated histology or retroperitoneal location. We now understand that surgical outcomes are poor for patients with rapidly growing or incompletely resectable tumors, so these patients should be managed nonoperatively. Radiation and chemotherapy have low response rates in WDLS and DDLS, but novel agents targeted at chromosome 12 gene products MDM2 and CDK4 have shown promise in preclinical studies and are being tested in clinical trials. Cell line, tissue microarray, and genomic analyses have identified additional targets including ZIC1, TOP2A, AURKA, and IGF-1R, which could form the basis of future therapies. SUMMARY: Although complete surgical resection is currently the most effective treatment for WDLS and DDLS, the majority of patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma will eventually have recurrence and die of disease. It is hoped that a multimodality approach, which incorporates targeted therapies and complete surgical resection, will significantly improve patient outcomes.
AbstractLiposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma. With its various subtypes, the natural history of this disease can vary significantly from a locally recurrent tumor to a highly malignant one carrying a poor prognosis. Progress in the understanding of the specific molecular abnormalities in liposarcoma provides greater opportunity for new treatment modalities. Although surgical resection and radiation therapy remain the keystones for the management of primary liposarcoma, the inclusion of novel agents that target known abnormalities in advanced liposarcoma enhances the potential for improved outcomes.
Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology · 2016 · 17 citations · open access
Well-differentiated liposarcoma of the floor of the mouth: Report of a rare case and review of the literature
AbstractLiposarcomas are extremely rare in the oral cavity. Less than 100 cases of oral liposarcoma have been reported in the world wide literature, mostly occurring in the buccal mucosa, whereas only <10 cases have been reported in the floor of the mouth. We present a rare case of oral liposarcoma that occurred in the floor of the mouth of a 45-year-old female patient. She had a history of two previous recurrences and underwent surgical excision with 24 months of follow-up. Clinical as well as histopathological features and therapeutic approaches of liposarcomas are discussed here, and a literature review is presented. Intraoral liposarcomas have a high rate of local recurrences but generally favorable prognosis based on the histopathologic subtype, location and clear surgical margins. Conservative surgical therapy without adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is recommended, due to the rarity of distant metastasis.
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume · 2006 · 14 citations · open access
Liposarcoma in adult limbs treated by limb-sparing surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy
AbstractBetween December 1995 and March 2003, 38 adult patients with intermediate or high-grade liposarcoma in a limb were treated by limb-sparing surgery and post-operative radiotherapy. The ten-year local recurrence-free survival was 83%, the ten-year metastasis-free survival 61%, the ten-year disease-free survival 51% and the ten-year overall survival 67%. Analysis of failure and success showed no association with the age of the patients, gender, the location of the primary tumour, the type of liposarcoma and the quality of resection. Our results indicate that liposarcoma may recur even ten years after the end of definitive therapy and may spread to unexpected sites as for soft-tissue sarcoma.
World Journal of Clinical Cases · 2019 · 11 citations · open access
Huge primary dedifferentiated pancreatic liposarcoma mimicking carcinosarcoma in a young female: A case report
AbstractBACKGROUND: Pancreatic liposarcoma is a rare tumor. According to a literature review, the patient described in this study is the seventh case of pancreatic liposarcoma reported in the English literature and the third case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Furthermore, this case had the largest primary tumor volume, and a primary pancreatic liposarcoma was diagnosed based on sufficient evidence. CASE SUMMARY: gene amplification, the tumor was diagnosed as a dedifferentiated liposarcoma. The patient was treated with surgery but declined postoperative chemotherapy. She was well at the 26-mo follow-up, and no relapse was observed. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic liposarcoma has a low incidence. Chemotherapy should be included in the treatment regimens. Complete resection is the only effective treatment.
Genetic, Epigenetic and Transcriptome Alterations in Liposarcoma for Target Therapy Selection
AbstractLiposarcoma (LPS) is one of the most common adult soft-tissue sarcomas (STS), characterized by a high diversity of histopathological features as well as to a lesser extent by a spectrum of molecular abnormalities. Current targeted therapies for STS do not include a wide range of drugs and surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for localized disease in all subtypes, while many LPS patients initially present with or ultimately progress to advanced disease that is either unresectable, metastatic or both. The understanding of the molecular characteristics of liposarcoma subtypes is becoming an important option for the detection of new potential targets and development novel, biology-driven therapies for this disease. Innovative therapies have been introduced and they are currently part of preclinical and clinical studies. In this review, we provide an analysis of the molecular genetics of liposarcoma followed by a discussion of the specific epigenetic changes in these malignancies. Then, we summarize the peculiarities of the key signaling cascades involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and possible novel therapeutic approaches based on a better understanding of subtype-specific disease biology. Although heterogeneity in liposarcoma genetics and phenotype as well as the associated development of resistance to therapy make difficult the introduction of novel therapeutic targets into the clinic, recently a number of targeted therapy drugs were proposed for LPS treatment. The most promising results were shown for CDK4/6 and MDM2 inhibitors as well as for the multi-kinase inhibitors anlotinib and sunitinib.
Epidemiology and survival outcomes for liposarcoma patients in England: An observational cohort study using real world data
AbstractPurpose: This real-world data study evaluates demographic and clinical characteristics and survival in patients with liposarcoma to inform our understanding of treatment patterns and associated outcomes in this rare cancer. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using existing data available through the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Male and female patients aged 18 years or older who had their first ever record of liposarcoma between 1998 and 2018 were included in the study. The demographic and tumour characteristics were presented (overall, by first line treatment and for dedifferentiated liposarcoma only) as proportions (percentages) while continuous variables were presented as means with standard deviation and interquartile ranges. Survival rates from diagnosis date and first line treatment (with 95% confidence intervals) were also calculated. Results: 1,315 patients were included, of which 46% (611) had a treatment recorded. Most patients were male and over the age of 60 years. Surgery was the most frequent treatment received following diagnosis (34% of all patients), followed by radiotherapy (8%) and chemotherapy (2.4%) with the remaining patients having no record of treatment available. Overall, there was a 77% probability of survival after diagnosis at 5 years. Conclusions: Findings from this study help advance our understanding of real world patient characteristics, treatment patterns and survival outcomes in a rare and heterogeneous cancer, which may be useful for guiding clinical management. This study also identified challenges with using real world data, which can be minimised through improving data collection and standardisation.
Malignant tumours · 2022 · 0 citations · open access
Case report of preoperative radiotherapy followed by surgery in patient with giant primary retroperitoneal G1 liposarcoma
AbstractDespite the development of contemporary surgical management of retroperitoneal liposarcomas, local recurrence remains the major challenge in the treatment of these tumors. Currently, surgery is the main treatment option for liposarcoma. The international cancer community faces a global goal — the development of new combined treatment options for the treatment of retroperitoneal liposarcoma to reduce the postoperative recurrence rate and increase the overall survival. This article presents the world literature data on the treatment of retroperitoneal liposarcomas and demonstrates a case report describing treatment of a patient with this disease in the N. N. Blokhin NMRC of Oncology.
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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