DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for malignant epithelioid mesothelioma — screening already-approved drugs against its 30-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleMalignant epithelioid mesothelioma maps to a 30-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 malignant epithelioid mesothelioma 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
kelch like ECH associated protein 1 (KEAP1) — KEAP1 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 2r,3sdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8IXS · 1.48 Å · ligand (2R,3S)-3-[[(2S)-2-fluoranyl-2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)ethanoyl]amino]-2-methyl-3-(4-methylphenyl)propanoic acid (T6I). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Malignant epithelioid mesothelioma is described as a highly invasive tumour of the mesothelium that shows extremely poor progression and is refractory to almost any kind of therapy. A 2014 review states the cancer is mostly resistant to conventional therapies and that early diagnosis is very difficult. A host of factors may be responsible for imparting drug resistance, and understanding these processes is considered important for designing therapeutic approaches. No concrete survival numbers, response rates, or sample sizes are provided in these abstracts.
A 2024 case report describes one patient with epithelioid mesothelioma who met surgical criteria and underwent extended pleurodecortication combined with intrathoracic hyperthermic chemotherapy. The patient had an adequate postoperative period and early discharge. The authors state the technique is safe when performed in centres with experience and the means to address this complex pathology. This is a single case, not a trial.
What is still missing are controlled trials with reported survival or response data, any evidence that this or any other approach changes the natural history of the disease in a measurable way, and patient stratification beyond surgical candidacy. The abstracts offer no drug repurposing data, no molecular targets for repurposing, and no comparison of outcomes against untreated or standard-of-care groups.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
InTech eBooks · 2012 · 7 citations
Malignant Mesothelioma
AbstractThis book brings together the knowledge of eminent experts in the field of malignant mesothelioma, a highly invasive tumor of mesothelium that is the protective lining covering several body cavities. Malignant mesothelioma shows extremely poor progression and is refractory to almost any kind of therapy putting considerable challenges in its treatment. This book covers many important aspects of malignant mesothelioma like epidemiology, immunology, molecular mechanisms and clinical options and will be useful to anybody interested in its history, pathology, and treatment.
Journal of Cancer Science & Therapy · 2014 · 4 citations · open access
Current Therapies for Malignant Mesothelioma
AbstractMalignant mesothelioma (MM) is a deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure that is increasing worldwide. Early diagnosis for this cancer is very difficult and MM is mostly resistant to conventional therapies. A host of factors may be responsible for development of MM and imparting drug resistance to this cancer. Understanding these processes will be important in designing therapeutic approaches for MM. Some of the conventional as well as current approaches for MM therapy are discussed in this review.
Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery · 2024 · 0 citations
Malignant pleural mesothelioma: Description of pleural decortication and hyperthermic chemotherapy technique in multimodal therapy
AbstractThe current treatment for mesothelioma, in selected cases, consists of extended pleurodecortication and intrathoracic hyperthermic chemotherapy. This technique is laborious and detailed and must be followed step by step to achieve good results. We present the case of a patient with epithelioid mesothelioma meeting surgical criteria who underwent the mentioned technique, experiencing an adequate postoperative period and an early discharge. This experience demonstrates that the technique is safe when performed in centres with experience and the means to address this complex pathology.
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.
