DeCure's autonomous Rare AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for neonatal jaundice — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleNeonatal jaundice maps to a 1-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 neonatal jaundice 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
ABO, alpha 1-3-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase and alpha 1-3-galactosyltransferase (ABO) — ABO 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 6-deoxy-alpha-l-galactopyranosyldrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4Y63 · 1.3 Å · ligand octyl 2-O-(6-deoxy-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (BHE). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 1992 commentary argued that the prevailing management of neonatal jaundice was of unproven efficacy, probably risky, and wasteful, noting that in the great majority of cases the condition is not accompanied by any other clinical or laboratory abnormality, has no diagnostic value, and disappears in a few days without sequelae. The author contrasted this with the respect and fear jaundice generated in the past.
A 2016 meta-analysis of Yinzhihuang oral liquid, a Chinese herbal formula, included trials from Chinese databases up to December 2015. The analysis reported that Yinzhihuang oral liquid in conjunction with other therapy increased the effective rate of neonatal jaundice therapy (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08–1.20). It also reported that the formula significantly eliminated bilirubin measured by TSB or TCB at the third day (SMD = –1.63, 95% CI: –2.20 to –1.06) and fifth day (SMD = –5.00, 95% CI: –7.88 to –2.12), and significantly shortened jaundice subsiding time (MD = –3.20 days, 95% CI: –6.01 to –0.39). The authors concluded Yinzhihuang oral liquid can be considered an effective treatment option.
A 2023 study from Northern Ethiopia examined determinants of neonatal jaundice among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units, but its abstract provides no treatment outcomes or drug data.
What is still missing is a large, independently funded, placebo-controlled trial of Yinzhihuang oral liquid that uses standardised bilirubin assays and long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up, and that is conducted outside China. The 1992 critique of over-treatment has never been resolved by a trial that proves any intervention improves meaningful outcomes rather than just lowering bilirubin numbers. Patient stratification by gestational age, haemolysis risk, and genetic factors remains absent from all available evidence.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
PEDIATRICS · 1992 · 35 citations
Bilirubin Toxicity: The Problem Was Solved a Generation Ago
AbstractThe article by Newman and Maisels1 in the current issue of Pediatrics is the latest in their crusade to prove that the prevailing management of neonatal jaundice is of unproven efficacy, probably risky, definitely wasteful of resources, and, therefore, should be changed.2-6 There is no doubt that the status of neonatal jaundice has been reduced to that of an "expensive nuisance." It is very common, but, in the great majority of the cases, it is not accompanied by any other clinical or laboratory abnormality, has no diagnostic value, and disappears in a few days without sequelae. The current status of neonatal jaundice contrasts with the respect and fear it generated in the past.
Pharmaceutical Biology · 2016 · 13 citations · open access
Yinzhihuang oral liquid in the treatment of neonatal jaundice: a meta-analysis
AbstractCONTEXT: Yinzhihuang oral liquid, a well-known Chinese herbal formula, is a clinical drug for the treatment of neonatal jaundice, and a number of clinical trials have been published addressing this issue, but there is no comprehensive analysis that evaluates its efficacy for the treatment of newborn with hyperbilirubinaemia. OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Yinzhihuang oral liquid on neonatal jaundice. METHODS: Search was performed throughout PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Ovid, Wanfang, VIP Medicine Information System (VMIS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases up to December 2015. The search terms were (Yinzhihuang oral liquid or Yinzhihuang oral solution), (neonatal jaundice or neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia), and (efficacy). Review Manager 5.2 software was used for analyzing the data. Data were pooled by using the random-effects models and expressed as relative ratio (RR), standardized mean difference (SMD) or mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The Cochrane tool was applied to assess the risk of bias of the trials. RESULTS: Yinzhihuang oral liquid in conjunction with other therapy increased effective rate of neonatal jaundice therapy (RR =1.14, 95%CI: 1.08-1.20). Yinzhihuang oral liquid significantly eliminated overproduced bilirubin which was measured by TSB or TCB at the third day and fifth day during the treatment {[third day, SMD = -1.63, 95%CI: -2.20 to (-1.06)], [fifth day, SMD = -5.00, 95%CI: -7.88 to (-2.12)]}; Yinzhihuang oral liquid significantly shortened jaundice subsiding time [MD = -3.20, 95%CI: -6.01to (-0.39)]. CONCLUSION: Yinzhihuang oral liquid can be considered as an effective treatment option for neonatal jaundice.
Sage Journals Data · 2023 · 0 citations · open access
sj-docx-1-gph-10.1177_2333794X231190518 – Supplemental material for Neonatal Jaundice: Its Determinants Among Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units of Tigray Region General Hospitals, Northern Ethiopia
AbstractSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-gph-10.1177_2333794X231190518 for Neonatal Jaundice: Its Determinants Among Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units of Tigray Region General Hospitals, Northern Ethiopia by Berhe Mengesha Kiros, Girmatsion Fisseha, Assefa Ayalew Gebreslassie, Zenawi Hagos Gufue, Haftamu Ebuy, Molla Teferi Belew, Getachew Zinabu Reda and Hayat Maeruf Mohammed in Global Pediatric Health
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.
