DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for low tension glaucoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 13-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleLow tension glaucoma maps to a 13-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 low tension glaucoma 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
azurocidin 1 (AZU1) — AZU1 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 eohdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 1A7S · 1.12 Å · ligand ETHANOL (EOH). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Low tension glaucoma, also called normal-tension glaucoma, is a form of primary open-angle glaucoma in which the optic nerve is damaged despite intraocular pressure (IOP) remaining consistently within the normal range. A 2018 review notes that up to 21% of patients have a family history, indicating a genetic predisposition, but the disease remains poorly understood. The same review describes normal-tension glaucoma as a multifactorial optic neuropathy with vascular, mechanical, and genetic components, and states that missing the major risk factor of elevated IOP makes it a clinical challenge. A 1995 review points out that it is unclear to what extent normal-tension glaucoma is a pressure-sensitive disease, and that it may be a collection of different disease entities.
A 2013 systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force examined treatments for open-angle glaucoma generally, not specifically for low tension glaucoma. It found high-level evidence that medical, laser, and surgical treatments decrease IOP, and that medical treatment and trabeculectomy reduce the risk for optic nerve damage and visual field loss compared with no treatment. However, the direct effect of treatments on visual impairment and the comparative efficacy of different treatments were not clear. Harms of medical treatment were primarily local (ocular redness, irritation), while surgical treatment carried a small risk for more serious complications. The review noted heterogeneous outcome definitions and the exclusion of many treatment studies that did not stratify results by glaucoma type.
A 2000 review states that no cure for glaucoma or reversal of blindness is available. A 2008 review confirms that current glaucoma treatments can slow disease progression but do not cure the disease, and that the molecular causes remain poorly understood. A 2022 review discusses the fixed-combination drug Xalacom, noting its good tolerability and hypotensive effect, and states that many patients require a combination of drugs to achieve target IOP. The 1995 review divides therapeutic options into those that moderate IOP and those that attempt to alter blood flow.
What is still missing are trials that specifically stratify results by low tension glaucoma rather than grouping it with other open-angle glaucomas. The underlying mechanisms — whether vascular, mechanical, or genetic — are not well enough understood to guide targeted therapy. No treatment has been shown to prevent visual disability or improve patient-reported outcomes in this subgroup, and no cure exists.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Annals of Internal Medicine · 2013 · 301 citations
Comparative Effectiveness of Treatments for Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
AbstractBACKGROUND: Glaucoma is an acquired degeneration of the optic nerve and a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Medical and surgical treatments that decrease intraocular pressure may prevent visual impairment and blindness. PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of medical, laser, and surgical treatments in adults with open-angle glaucoma with regard to decreasing intraocular pressure and preventing optic nerve damage, vision loss, and visual impairment. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and an existing database for systematic reviews (through 2 March 2011); MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and CENTRAL for primary studies (through 30 July 2012). STUDY SELECTION: English-language systematic reviews; randomized, controlled trials; and quasi-randomized, controlled trials for most outcomes and observational studies for quality of life and harms. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators abstracted or checked information about study design, participants, and outcomes and assessed risk of bias and strength of evidence. DATA SYNTHESIS: High-level evidence suggests that medical, laser, and surgical treatments decrease intraocular pressure and that medical treatment and trabeculectomy reduce the risk for optic nerve damage and visual field loss compared with no treatment. The direct effect of treatments on visual impairment and the comparative efficacy of different treatments are not clear. Harms of medical treatment are primarily local (ocular redness, irritation); surgical treatment carries a small risk for more serious complications. LIMITATION: Heterogeneous outcome definitions and measurements among the included studies; exclusion of many treatment studies that did not stratify results by glaucoma type. CONCLUSION: Medical and surgical treatments for open-angle glaucoma lower intraocular pressure and reduce the risk for optic nerve damage over the short to medium term. Which treatments best prevent visual disability and improve patient-reported outcomes is unclear.
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine · 2018 · 87 citations · open access
Normal‑tension glaucoma: Pathogenesis and genetics (Review)
AbstractNormal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a multifactorial optic neuropathy which, similar to open-angle glaucomas, is characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell death and glaucomatous visual field loss. The major distinction of NTG from open-angle glaucomas is that the intraocular pressure (IOP) does not exceed the normal range. Missing the major risk factor and target of therapy, the elevated IOP, NTG poses a clinical challenge. Several insightful reviews have been published on the pathophysiology of NTG describing the possible underlying mechanisms. The current literature available also suggests that a significant percentage of patients with NTG (as high as 21%) have a family history of glaucoma, indicating a genetic predisposition to the disease. These facts strengthen the indication that NTG remains an enigmatic process. The aim of this review was to summarize the vascular, mechanical and genetic components considered to be responsible for NTG development and to discuss the mechanisms through which they are involved in the pathogenesis of NTG.
Journal of Ophthalmology · 2019 · 18 citations · open access
Ocular Surface Changes in Prostaglandin Analogue-Treated Patients
AbstractGlaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness globally. Reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) has been acknowledged to be the main therapy for glaucoma. Prostaglandin analogues (PGAs) have become the first-line therapy for patients with glaucoma due to their powerful efficacy for lowering (IOP). However, usage of PGAs can also cause several notable side effects, including the changes in ocular surface. The relationship between PGAs and ocular surface changes is complicated and still remains unclear. In the present review, we summarize the recent studies of the effects of PGAs on ocular changes as well as the possible mechanisms that might provide new considerations during clinical medication.
Current Opinion in Ophthalmology · 1995 · 10 citations
Therapeutic rationale for normal-tension glaucoma
AbstractThree problems exist when assessing the effectiveness of treatment for normal-tension glaucoma. Firstly, it is a common type of primary open-angle glaucoma. Secondly, the extent to which it is a pressure-sensitive disease remains to be seen. Thirdly, it is possible that normal-tension glaucoma is a collection of different disease entities. This review will look at the therapeutic options available for treatment and divide them into these which attempt to moderate IOP, and those which attempt to alter blood flow.
AbstractThe past 10 years have seen dramatic changes in the pharmacologic treatment of glaucoma. The treatment of glaucoma has changed from surgical to primarily medical. These treatments have improved the effectiveness and safety of lowering the intraocular pressure to prevent progressive vision loss and blindness, but no cure for glaucoma or reversal of blindness is available yet. Research is progressing and can hopefully achieve these final goals sometime in the future.
Russian Annals of Ophthalmology · 2022 · 1 citations
Xalacom: possibilities and advantages of the drug in the treatment of patients with glaucoma
AbstractThe strategy of glaucoma therapy is aimed at preserving visual functions and ensuring an acceptable quality of life for patients. To achieve this strategic goal, clinicians in their practice use drugs that affect the main factor in the progression of the disease - intraocular pressure (IOP), aiming to reduce it to an individual target level. It is not always possible to achieve optimal IOP values with monotherapy. Many patients require a combination of drugs from different pharmacological groups. Xalacom is a fixed drug with good tolerability and t hypotensive effect. This review focuses on the benefits of this drug for the treatment of glaucoma.
JOURNAL OF CURRENT GLAUCOMA PRACTICE · 2010 · 1 citations
Needling: A Potential option for Trabeculectomy Bleb Failure
AbstractTrabeculectomy still remains the standard procedure of choice for a patient with uncontrolled glaucoma on maximum tolerated medical therapy and/or after laser. Although it has a high success rate of its own, a small number of patients continue to have a failing or a failed bleb despite a good bleb management. Needling had been a well-known modality of bleb management described in literature which has refined itself through years. However, in most of the situations, this modality of treatment is least considered. In this review, we will go through the evolution of needling procedure and various related options, their success rates, complications and emerging trends.
Proteomic Advances Toward Understanding Mechanisms of Glaucoma Pathology
AbstractGlaucoma is a collection of complex and progressive ocular pathologies (1) that are often age-related and categorized into: primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), congenital glaucoma, and juvenile glaucoma, where no known molecular causes can be attributed; and secondary glaucoma, where the condition can be traced to an apparent cause such as previous ocular or systemic injury or illness. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the world (2,3) and vision loss is often related to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) with subsequent damage to retinal ganglion cells and the optic nerve (4). Normal (or low) tension glaucoma is a form of the disease in which the optic nerve is damaged even though the patient’s IOP is consistently within a range considered normal. Overall, POAG is the most common form of the disease and affects about 3 million Americans and over 70 million people worldwide (3). The molecular causes of glaucoma remain poorly understood, therefore, while current glaucoma treatments are able to slow disease progression, they do not cure the disease. Nevertheless, clues to themolecular basis of glaucoma are emerging, including the identification of genes associated with glaucoma pathogenesis such as the TIGR/myocilin gene (5) and the optinuerin gene (6). A number of defective genes and loci have been linkedwith various types of glaucoma (7,8), howevermechanistic insights into glaucoma pathology remain elusive, in part because the function of glaucoma gene products
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.
