DeCure's autonomous Metabolic AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for mitochondrial complex I deficiency — screening already-approved drugs against its 29-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleMitochondrial complex I deficiency maps to a 29-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 mitochondrial complex i deficiency 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
hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha inhibitor (HIF1AN) — HIF1AN 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 carboxycarbonyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 7A1Q · 1.75 Å · ligand 3-(carboxycarbonyl)cyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid (QVQ). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In 2008, trabecular meshwork cells from primary open-angle glaucoma patients were found to have higher endogenous reactive oxygen species, lower ATP, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential compared to cells from age-matched controls. These glaucomatous cells were more sensitive to rotenone, a complex I inhibitor, which further increased ROS, triggered cytochrome c release, and lowered ATP and membrane potential, leading to apoptosis. Inhibitors of complex II and III had little effect. Antioxidants vitamin E and N-acetylcysteine protected against rotenone-induced death by blocking ROS generation and cytochrome c release. The study used primary cultures from surgical specimens, with sample sizes not explicitly stated in the abstract.
A 2014 review notes that complex I deficiency (MIM #252010) accounts for a large proportion of mitochondrial disease cases. The complex has 44 subunits, and mutations in both nuclear and mitochondrial genes can cause deficiency. However, almost half of complex I deficiencies are due to defects in unidentified genes encoding non-structural proteins, including assembly factors. The review states that more such genes must be identified before definitive genetic counselling can be applied in all affected families.
A 2010 review of mouse models for nuclear DNA-encoded complex I deficiency reports that the first successful treatment trials have been carried out in patient-derived cell lines, using chemical compounds that target cellular aberrations induced by complex I dysfunction. It argues that before human clinical trials, the effects of these compounds on toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic potential must be studied in suitable animal models. The review discusses two recent mouse models and their tissue-specific knock-outs, but does not report any in vivo treatment results.
What is still missing: a proven therapy for primary mitochondrial complex I deficiency in humans. The 2008 glaucoma study is limited to cultured cells from a single tissue and a specific disease context, not a general complex I deficiency model. The 2014 review highlights that the genetic basis of nearly half of cases remains unknown, which hampers patient stratification for trials. The 2010 review explicitly states that animal model studies are a prerequisite before entering human trials, and no such completed trials are reported. Funding for gene discovery, development of animal models that recapitulate the human disease, and properly designed clinical trials with genetically stratified patients are all lacking.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Mitochondrial Complex I Defect Induces ROS Release and Degeneration in Trabecular Meshwork Cells of POAG Patients: Protection by Antioxidants
AbstractPURPOSE: There is growing evidence that oxidative stress contributes to the progression of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The authors provide evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is a possible mechanism for the loss of trabecular meshwork (TM) cells in persons with POAG. METHODS: TM from patients with POAG (GTM) and age-matched subjects without disease (NTM) were obtained by standard surgical trabeculectomy. Primary TM cultures were treated with one of the following mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors: rotenone (ROT, complex I inhibitor), thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTFA, complex II inhibitor), myxothiazol or antimycin A (MYX, AM-complex III inhibitors); mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA); and antioxidants vitamin E (Vit E) or N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Mitochondrial function was determined by changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production with the fluorescent probes 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1'3,3'-tetraethylbenzimid azolocarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) and a luciferin/luciferase-based ATP assay, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, determined by H(2)-DCF-DA, and cell death, measured by lactate dehydrogenase activity and Annexin V-FITC labeling, were also examined. RESULTS: GTM cells have higher endogenous ROS levels, lower ATP levels, and decreased Delta Psi m and they are more sensitive to mitochondrial complex I inhibition than their normal counterparts. ROT induces a further increase in ROS production, the release of cytochrome c, and decreases in ATP level and Delta Psi m in GTM cells, eventually leading to apoptosis. Complex II and III inhibition had little effect on the cells. Antioxidants protect against ROT-induced death by inhibiting ROS generation and cytochrome c release. CONCLUSIONS: The authors propose that a mitochondrial complex I defect is associated with the degeneration of TM cells in patients with POAG, and antioxidants and MPT inhibitors can reduce the progression of this condition.
Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease · 2014 · 63 citations · open access
Mitochondrial disease associated with complex I (NADH‐CoQ oxidoreductase) deficiency
AbstractMitochondrial diseases due to a reduced capacity for oxidative phosphorylation were first identified more than 20 years ago, and their incidence is now recognized to be quite significant. In a large proportion of cases the problem can be traced to a complex I (NADH-CoQ oxidoreductase) deficiency (Phenotype MIM #252010). Because the complex consists of 44 subunits, there are many potential targets for pathogenic mutations, both on the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Surprisingly, however, almost half of the complex I deficiencies are due to defects in as yet unidentified genes that encode proteins other than the structural proteins of the complex. This review attempts to summarize what we know about the molecular basis of complex I deficiencies: mutations in the known structural genes, and mutations in an increasing number of genes encoding "assembly factors", that is, proteins required for the biogenesis of a functional complex I that are not found in the final complex I. More such genes must be identified before definitive genetic counselling can be applied in all cases of affected families.
Cellular and animal models for mitochondrial complex I deficiency: A focus on the NDUFS4 subunit
AbstractTo allow the rational design of effective treatment strategies for human mitochondrial disorders, a proper understanding of their biochemical and pathophysiological aspects is required. The development and evaluation of these strategies require suitable model systems. In humans, inherited complex I (CI) deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system. During the last decade, various cellular and animal models of CI deficiency have been presented involving mutations and/or deletion of the Ndufs4 gene, which encodes the NDUFS4 subunit of CI. In this review, we discuss these models and their validity for studying human CI deficiency.
Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease · 2010 · 31 citations · open access
Mouse models for nuclear DNA‐encoded mitochondrial complex I deficiency
AbstractMitochondrial diseases are a group of heterogeneous pathologies with decreased cellular energy production as a common denominator. Defects in the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system, the most frequent one in humans being isolated complex I deficiency (OMIM 252010), underlie this disturbed-energy generation. As biogenesis of OXPHOS complexes is under dual genetic control, with complex II being the sole exception, mutations in both nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are found. Increasing knowledge is becoming available with respect to the pathophysiology and cellular consequences of OXPHOS dysfunction. This aids the rational design of new treatment strategies. Recently, the first successful treatment trials were carried out in patient-derived cell lines. In these studies chemical compounds were used that target cellular aberrations induced by complex I dysfunction. Before the field of human clinical trials is entered, it is necessary to study the effects of these compounds with respect to toxicity, pharmacokinetics and therapeutic potential in suitable animal models. Here, we discuss two recent mouse models for nDNA-encoded complex I deficiency and their tissue-specific knock-outs.
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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