DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for malignant hyperthermia of anesthesia — screening already-approved drugs against its 4-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleMalignant hyperthermia of anesthesia maps to a 4-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 hyperthermia of anesthesia 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
aspartate beta-hydroxylase (ASPH) — ASPH 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 akgdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 9FVU · 1.7 Å · ligand 2-OXOGLUTARIC ACID (AKG). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Malignant hyperthermia is a rare hypermetabolic pharmacogenetic disorder of calcium release control in skeletal muscle triggered by depolarising muscle relaxants and inhalational anaesthetics. The true incidence is unknown, but frequency has been estimated as high as 1 per 14,000 anaesthetic events. Without prompt medical intervention it is uniformly fatal, and mortality rates up to 70% have been reported. A 2023 case report describes a 32-year-old man who suffered a malignant hyperthermia attack after receiving succinylcholine to induce anaesthesia and isoflurane to maintain anaesthesia during an emergency laparotomy for a gunshot wound; the patient was treated successfully.
The 1981 and 1991 reviews emphasise that survival depends on early detection and treatment, and that a high index of suspicion must be maintained by all operating room personnel. Physical stigmata and historical findings can help identify patients at risk. The recommended steps include promptly stopping the surgical procedure and starting medical therapy. The 2023 case report does not specify which drugs or interventions were used to treat the attack, only that treatment was eventually successful.
No controlled trial data are presented in these abstracts. The 1991 review notes that the true incidence remains unknown. What is still missing is prospective surveillance to establish accurate incidence and mortality figures, standardised treatment protocols tested in controlled settings, and genetic stratification to identify at-risk patients before anaesthesia is administered.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 1981 · 6 citations
Malignant Hyperthermia: Cause and Treatment
AbstractMalignant hyperthermia (MH) is one of the most devastating crises encountered in medicine, and it frequently occurs unexpectedly. Since a patient's survival depends on early detection and treatment, a high index of suspicion must be maintained not only by the anesthesiological but also by all surgical personnel in the operating room. Physical stigmata and historical findings can help surgeons to detect those patients who may be at risk for the development of MH. The surgical procedure should be promptly stopped, and medical therapy should be started. Step-by-step treatment of this threatening complication of anesthesia is necessary.
AbstractThe true incidence of malignant hyperthermia is unknown, but the frequency has been estimated as high as 1/14,000 anesthetic events. Review of the literature reports mortality rates up to 70%. Without prompt medical intervention, it is a uniformly fatal disease. Thus, it behooves the physician to have an awareness of the syndrome and its features, so that early recognition and adequate treatment take place. This paper presents a review of the literature on the occurrence, pathology, symptoms and treatment of malignant hyperthermia.
Human Pathology Reports · 2023 · 1 citations · open access
Malignant hyperthermia: A case report
AbstractMalignant hyperthermia is a rare hypermetabolic pharmacogenetic pathologic disorder of calcium release control in skeletal muscle following exposure to depolarizing muscle relaxants and inhalational anesthetics in general anesthesia. This report describes the case of a 32-year-old man undergoing emergency laparotomy after being shot in the stomach. The patient suffered a malignant hyperthermia attack following the administration of Succinylcholine to induce anesthesia and Isoflurane to maintain anesthesia. Eventually, we were able to treat the patient for malignant hyperthermia successfully.
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.
